The backstop option would keep Britain aligned to the customs union beyond 2020

Boris Johnson: we want a deal with the EU, not a customs backstop

Boris Johnson has delivered a thinly-veiled warning to Theresa May that he and his fellow Brexiters still expect her to deliver a deal that avoids triggering the “backstop” that would keep Britain aligned to the customs union beyond 2020.

The foreign secretary lost the argument in last week’s Brexit inner cabinet, when senior ministers agreed the UK would retain key aspects of the customs union if a solution to the Irish border problem was not found.

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This backstop has been one of the sticking points in talks with the EU27 and some in Westminster believe it could become the post-Brexit norm if Brussels accepts the UK’s proposal.

But Johnson insisted: “Brexiters fearing betrayal over the customs backstop must understand that the PM has been very clear that it is not an outcome we desire; we want a deal with the EU and she will deliver it.”

In a message apparently aimed as much at the prime minister herself as at backbench colleagues, he said: “I’m convinced that the prime minister will be true to her promises of a Brexit deal – that sees Britain will come out of the customs union and single market, have borders as frictionless as possible, reject ECJ [European court of justice] interference, control immigration and be free to conduct unhindered free trade deals across the world. We must now give the prime minister time and space to negotiate this Brexit vision”.

The Cabinet remains deadlocked over what final customs arrangement Britain should pursue – and HMRC officials believe neither model under consideration will be ready for the end of the transition deal by December 2020.

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But Johnson believes the backstop should not be necessary. Instead, he is urging his colleagues to settle on one model and press ahead with implementing it.

His outward show of loyalty, at the start of a visit to Latin America, contrasted with his public rebellion over the “customs partnership” pushed by May a fortnight ago.

But amid fears of backsliding among pro-leave MPs, the foreign secretary’s careful choice of words underscored the fact that Brexiters’ loyalty is not unconditional.

Johnson and his fellow leavers in the cabinet, Michael Gove, Liam Fox and David Davis, are under intense pressure from hardline backbenchers, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, to reject any deal that would keep Britain closely tied to the EU27.

They have made a series of compromises over the two years since the referendum, including accepting a transition period and a financial settlement expected to amount to more than £30bn.

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When the backstop plan emerged last week, Rees-Mogg warned that it could represent “perpetual purgatory”, although Downing Street insists it would be strictly time-limited.

Persuading her “war cabinet” to sign up to new proposals on the backstop marked rare progress for May after weeks of deadlock.

The Department for Exiting the EU is set to publish a 100-page white paper setting out the government’s hopes for the future relationship with the EU in the coming weeks, in a bid to bring fresh impetus to the talks.

It remains unclear whether the EU27 will accept the government’s plan, which would see the UK continue to apply EU tariffs to imports, but leave it free to strike new trade deals.

Brussels’ own suggestion for the backstop, which involved Northern Ireland being considered “part of the customs territory” of the EU, was rejected by May in February, when she told parliament no prime minister could accept it.

Johnson, who was speaking at the start of a five-day visit to South America, where he has been pointing to the opportunities for boosting trade, stressed that any Brexit deal would have to allow Britain to strike new deals with non-EU countries.

“Already during my time in South America I’ve been bowled over by the optimism and excitement from nations keen to forge deeper ties and new trading relationships with the UK. Make no mistake, we will be ready to take advantage of these opportunities when we leave the EU,” he said.

May outlined her backstop proposal to the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and European council president Donald Tusk last week. Both demanded to see more detail, and Brexit secretary David Davis is expected to present the plans in writing within a fortnight.

Senior ministers remain bitterly divided about what Britain’s eventual customs arrangements should be. Johnson and other pro-leave colleagues back the so-called maximum facilitation, or max-fac option, which would use technology to minimise cumbersome border checks.

Others, including the chancellor, Philip Hammond, and the business secretary, Greg Clark, lean towards the alternative, customs partnership model, in which the UK would collect tariffs on the EU’s behalf.

Johnson called the customs partnership “crazy” earlier this month, prompting the former attorney general and leading Brexit rebel Dominic Grieve to call for him to resign.