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| Brexit speech: Boris Johnson refuses to rule out resignation – as it happened | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, delivered the first of series of planned speeches by cabinet ministers on Brexit. He called upon pro-leave figures to understand the concerns of those who wanted to remain in the EU. Johnson said he wanted to “reach out to those who still have anxieties”. | |
| But, at least in Westminster, his call for unity largely fell on deaf ears. Leading remain supporters accused Johnson of hypocrisy, labelling him one of the most divisive figures of the Brexit campaign. Business leaders and trade unionists also reacted coolly to Johnson’s speech. (See 1.55pm) | |
| Johnson’s speech may not have won him many friends on the other side of the fence but there was speculation they were not his real target anyway. His real audience was his cabinet colleagues, some said. Johnson sought to set out his vision for a post-Brexit UK, then - in a moment that will put senior government figures on notice - he declined to rule out resigning from the government if his fellow ministers did not back it. (See 11.53am) | |
| The international development secretary, Penny Mordaunt, confirmed she was to meet police following the Oxfam sexual abuse allegations. | |
| I’m going to close this live blog now. Thanks for reading. | |
| Dover will face permanent traffic jams stretching 20 miles out from the port from March 2019 unless Theresa May agrees to the EU’s proposals for a Brexit transition period, the organisation representing the shipping industry and ports has said. | Dover will face permanent traffic jams stretching 20 miles out from the port from March 2019 unless Theresa May agrees to the EU’s proposals for a Brexit transition period, the organisation representing the shipping industry and ports has said. |
| David Dingle, the chairman of Maritime UK, said lorry drivers could be stuck on the main approach roads to Dover for up to two days if there was no deal for a transition. | David Dingle, the chairman of Maritime UK, said lorry drivers could be stuck on the main approach roads to Dover for up to two days if there was no deal for a transition. |
| My colleague, Jessica Elgot, watched the foreign secretary deliver his “road to Brexit” speech this morning. Here’s her full report: | My colleague, Jessica Elgot, watched the foreign secretary deliver his “road to Brexit” speech this morning. Here’s her full report: |
| The reaction to Boris Johnson’s speech has been lukewarm at best from representatives of businesses and trade unions alike. | The reaction to Boris Johnson’s speech has been lukewarm at best from representatives of businesses and trade unions alike. |
| John Foster, the director of campaigns for the Confederation of British Industry, said businesses were committed to making Brexit a success but “evidence, not ideology, should guide the UK’s thinking on a close future relationship with the EU”. | John Foster, the director of campaigns for the Confederation of British Industry, said businesses were committed to making Brexit a success but “evidence, not ideology, should guide the UK’s thinking on a close future relationship with the EU”. |
| Businesses aren’t looking for a bonfire of regulation - quite the opposite - our aerospace, automotive and chemical sectors, to name a few, all have highly integrated European supply chains that benefit from consistent regulation. | Businesses aren’t looking for a bonfire of regulation - quite the opposite - our aerospace, automotive and chemical sectors, to name a few, all have highly integrated European supply chains that benefit from consistent regulation. |
| And securing alignment of data rules is vital to protect the thousands of innovative businesses that make up the UK’s 240 billion data economy. | And securing alignment of data rules is vital to protect the thousands of innovative businesses that make up the UK’s 240 billion data economy. |
| The TUC’s general secretary, Frances O’Grady, said: | The TUC’s general secretary, Frances O’Grady, said: |
| People have learned not to trust Boris Johnson. | People have learned not to trust Boris Johnson. |
| Instead of calming the worries of working people, he fuelled fears that he believes essential workplace rights are ‘intolerable’. | Instead of calming the worries of working people, he fuelled fears that he believes essential workplace rights are ‘intolerable’. |
| When he says ‘regulatory divergence’ he means scrapping hard-won rights to paid holidays, equal pay and safety at work. And if that’s his vision, he’s never going to unite the nation behind it. | When he says ‘regulatory divergence’ he means scrapping hard-won rights to paid holidays, equal pay and safety at work. And if that’s his vision, he’s never going to unite the nation behind it. |
| Antony Walker, the deputy chief executive of the technology industry body techUK, said: | Antony Walker, the deputy chief executive of the technology industry body techUK, said: |
| We do not make the UK more attractive to the rest of the world by putting barriers in the way of trade with our biggest market. | We do not make the UK more attractive to the rest of the world by putting barriers in the way of trade with our biggest market. |
| Whilst there may be areas where the UK wants to diverge from EU rules in the future, these are likely to be limited as the gains from divergence would have to outweigh the very significant benefits of having alignment with our closest trading partner. | Whilst there may be areas where the UK wants to diverge from EU rules in the future, these are likely to be limited as the gains from divergence would have to outweigh the very significant benefits of having alignment with our closest trading partner. |
| Keir Starmer, Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, has responded to Johnson’s speech this afternoon, saying it was full of “empty rhetoric”. | Keir Starmer, Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, has responded to Johnson’s speech this afternoon, saying it was full of “empty rhetoric”. |
| This speech underlined the government’s real intentions; a Brexit of deregulation, where rights and protections are casually cast aside and where the benefits of the single market and the customs union are ignored. | This speech underlined the government’s real intentions; a Brexit of deregulation, where rights and protections are casually cast aside and where the benefits of the single market and the customs union are ignored. |
| Nobody will be fooled or reassured by the foreign secretary’s empty rhetoric. His insistence on deregulating our economy is the opposite of what businesses and trade unions want to hear. | Nobody will be fooled or reassured by the foreign secretary’s empty rhetoric. His insistence on deregulating our economy is the opposite of what businesses and trade unions want to hear. |
| Instead of building the consensus we need, the government’s approach will only further divide the country and put jobs, rights and living standards at risk. | Instead of building the consensus we need, the government’s approach will only further divide the country and put jobs, rights and living standards at risk. |
| Chuka Umunna, the Labour MP and leading Open Britain supporter, has dubbed the foreign secretary’s speech an “astonishing exercise in hypocrisy”. | Chuka Umunna, the Labour MP and leading Open Britain supporter, has dubbed the foreign secretary’s speech an “astonishing exercise in hypocrisy”. |
| His vision of Brexit may be many things, but it is not liberal. | His vision of Brexit may be many things, but it is not liberal. |
| His plan would see Britain sever trade ties with our largest trading partner, weaken protections for workers, consumers and the environment, and jeopardise the Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland, a subject he didn’t even bother to mention. | His plan would see Britain sever trade ties with our largest trading partner, weaken protections for workers, consumers and the environment, and jeopardise the Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland, a subject he didn’t even bother to mention. |
| The scaremongering, mistruths, lack of detail and utter disregard for the economic realities of Brexit were an alarming throwback to the referendum campaign. More than 18 months since the referendum, this was simply more of the same project fantasy. | The scaremongering, mistruths, lack of detail and utter disregard for the economic realities of Brexit were an alarming throwback to the referendum campaign. More than 18 months since the referendum, this was simply more of the same project fantasy. |
| He lectures others about betrayal, yet he is unrepentant about the lies he has peddled, be it on how Brexit will deliver £350m extra a week for the NHS, the ridiculous claim that Turkey was joining the European Union, or the assertion that Britain would immediately start negotiating new trade deals with countries around the world when there have been none. | He lectures others about betrayal, yet he is unrepentant about the lies he has peddled, be it on how Brexit will deliver £350m extra a week for the NHS, the ridiculous claim that Turkey was joining the European Union, or the assertion that Britain would immediately start negotiating new trade deals with countries around the world when there have been none. |
| The senior Tory MP, Sarah Wollaston, seems underwhelmed by Johnson’s speech. | The senior Tory MP, Sarah Wollaston, seems underwhelmed by Johnson’s speech. |
| #Boris presenting an optimistic vision of global Britain. I hope he is right. But his speech did not address any of the serious practical difficulties that will affect real peoples lives with a hard #Brexit | #Boris presenting an optimistic vision of global Britain. I hope he is right. But his speech did not address any of the serious practical difficulties that will affect real peoples lives with a hard #Brexit |
| I’m not sure you reach out to constituents who come to visit you in a surgery by humiliating & belittling them in a major speech. Nor will global Britain be advanced by a vision of exporting stag parties or innuendo about visitors to Thailand. | I’m not sure you reach out to constituents who come to visit you in a surgery by humiliating & belittling them in a major speech. Nor will global Britain be advanced by a vision of exporting stag parties or innuendo about visitors to Thailand. |
| Clear message from #Boris speech that Govt set on regulatory divergence, leaving CU & SM. Now we urgently need a serious speech that addresses the reality of the practical issues, timescales & contingency planning including Irish border. Time for relentless #OptimismBias is over | Clear message from #Boris speech that Govt set on regulatory divergence, leaving CU & SM. Now we urgently need a serious speech that addresses the reality of the practical issues, timescales & contingency planning including Irish border. Time for relentless #OptimismBias is over |
| In response to the foreign secretary’s speech, the Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson, Tom Brake, dismissed Boris Johnson as “completely deluded”. | In response to the foreign secretary’s speech, the Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson, Tom Brake, dismissed Boris Johnson as “completely deluded”. |
| This speech wasn’t about the most important issue facing our country right now, this was about Boris’ ambitions to become the next prime minister. And it probably wasn’t much help on that front either. | This speech wasn’t about the most important issue facing our country right now, this was about Boris’ ambitions to become the next prime minister. And it probably wasn’t much help on that front either. |
| The lack of detail and understanding shown in this back of a fag packet speech would be astounding, if we didn’t already know that the government has no clue and no plan. | The lack of detail and understanding shown in this back of a fag packet speech would be astounding, if we didn’t already know that the government has no clue and no plan. |
| As ever, Boris managed to find time to practice a dead language but failed to tackle the live issues. We are still completely in the dark on the government’s plan to tackle issues such as the Northern Ireland border which are central to his brief as foreign secretary and crucial to the future of our nation. | As ever, Boris managed to find time to practice a dead language but failed to tackle the live issues. We are still completely in the dark on the government’s plan to tackle issues such as the Northern Ireland border which are central to his brief as foreign secretary and crucial to the future of our nation. |
| That concludes the foreign secretary’s speech. | That concludes the foreign secretary’s speech. |
| Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European commission, said it was “total nonsense” to claim that he wanted to build a European superstate. Some in the British political establishment were “pretending that I am a stupid stubborn federalist” he said when asked to respond to the Johnson speech. | Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European commission, said it was “total nonsense” to claim that he wanted to build a European superstate. Some in the British political establishment were “pretending that I am a stupid stubborn federalist” he said when asked to respond to the Johnson speech. |
| I am strictly against a European superstate. We are not the United States of America, we are the European Union … the European Union cannot be built against European nations. | I am strictly against a European superstate. We are not the United States of America, we are the European Union … the European Union cannot be built against European nations. |
| My colleague, Jessica Elgot, asks whether the foreign secretary feels some of remainers’ anger has been fuelled by his own government, which has referred to them as “saboteurs” and “citizens of nowhere”. Was that language a mistake? Johnson says: | My colleague, Jessica Elgot, asks whether the foreign secretary feels some of remainers’ anger has been fuelled by his own government, which has referred to them as “saboteurs” and “citizens of nowhere”. Was that language a mistake? Johnson says: |
| I think the prime minister’s language, when I’ve heard her, has been always irenic and she understands the task we have; we have to bring people along with this project. | I think the prime minister’s language, when I’ve heard her, has been always irenic and she understands the task we have; we have to bring people along with this project. |
| I accept that, this morning, I’m not going to bring along everybody, But I’ve got to try, I’ve got to make the effort. Because, in the end, these are people’s feelings and people’s feelings matter. | I accept that, this morning, I’m not going to bring along everybody, But I’ve got to try, I’ve got to make the effort. Because, in the end, these are people’s feelings and people’s feelings matter. |
| Johnson agrees Theresa May is “the cure” for “Brexchosis”; a term he coined in his speech. | Johnson agrees Theresa May is “the cure” for “Brexchosis”; a term he coined in his speech. |
| The foreign secretary is asked by the Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn to guarantee he won’t resign this year if his cabinet colleagues diverge from his vision of Brexit. In response, he avoids the question, saying: | The foreign secretary is asked by the Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn to guarantee he won’t resign this year if his cabinet colleagues diverge from his vision of Brexit. In response, he avoids the question, saying: |
| We’re all very lucky to serve and I’m certainly one of those. | We’re all very lucky to serve and I’m certainly one of those. |