Boris Johnson news: PM to prorogue parliament again amid EU concern over ‘problematic points’ in new Brexit border plan
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Boris Johnson’s government has now published details of proposals for a withdrawal agreement to take the UK out of the EU by the end of the month, but the European Commission quickly said that “problematic points” remained in the prime minister’s plans.
Emerging after the PM’s conference speech, the proposals drew swift criticism as “problematic” and failing to safeguard the interests of people and traders on the island of Ireland. “A lot of work is needed,” said Michel Barnier, while noting the concrete offer did constitute progress.
Mr Johnson’s plan, which he billed as a compromise for the UK, would mean customs checks on trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic as well as a regulatory control border down the Irish Sea. One manufacturers’ pressure group described the scheme, which would effectively create two borders, as “worse than no deal”.
The PM used his conference speech to say the UK must deliver Brexit because voters feel they’re being “taken for fools”. And attacking parliament, he claimed MPs “would have been voted out of the jungle by now” if politics was a reality TV show.
In the early evening, Downing Street confirmed plans to prorogue parliament again ahead of a new Queen’s Speech on 14 October.
While the Tory conference drew to a close in Manchester, the debate on the domestic violence bill continued in Westminster. Labour’s Rosie Duffield won praise for, and brought her colleagues to tears with, her account of her own experience of coercive control.
DUP leader Arlene Foster called Boris Johnson a “good friend” and a “fabulous friend to the union”, but declined to say whether she had seen the PM’s proposals for altering the backstop.
“What we are doing with his prime minister is working very closely with him and we will continue to work closely with him over the next couple of hours and days, and I hope we do get a deal that is acceptable to the European Union and one that is good for the whole of the United Kingdom,” she told the BBC.
“What people need to remember is after the Withdrawal Agreement and the backstop came out, what was happening was Northern Ireland was going to be in a different customs union, we were going to be in separate regulations without any democratic say.
“I think it is important that we now try and get a deal that is good for Northern Ireland as well as the rest of the UK.
“The backstop has always been identified as the huge stumbling block. Let’s fix it and let’s get a deal.”
DUP leader Arlene Foster at the Conservative conference (Reuters)
The Scotland secretary Alister Jack has suggested we get of one of the “left-wing” bank holidays and replace it with a “Union Day” bank holiday.
Appearing at a Q&A conference session, he has also dismissed the idea of sever delays at ports in the event of a no-deal Brexit as “absolute nonsense”.
Jack said: “This idea everything is going to seize up, and there’s going to be a disaster, especially in the event of a no-deal Brexit, I think is absolute nonsense. Business will find a way through.”
Boris Johnson is in the building. The prime minister has arrived at Manchester Central convention complex, and we’re expecting his speech to begin around 11.40am.
Prime minister arrives at fourth day of Tory conference (Getty)
International trade secretary Liz Truss says “I don’t know” when asked if Boris Johnson will abide by the Benn Act – requiring to ask for Brexit extension.
Boris Johnson has begun his Conservative party conference speech (you can watch it live above). He begins by thanking Theresa May, but doesn’t say anything particularly nice about her.
Boris Johnson addresses Tory conference
We have our first jokes, Boris Johnson compares Britain to a “world class athlete with a pebble in its shoe”.
He says: “If parliament were a laptop, then the screen would be showing the pizza wheel of doom.”
“If parliament were a school Ofsted would be shutting it down or putting it in special measures.”
“If parliament were a TV show, then the whole lot of us would have been voted out of the jungle by now.”
Big laughs for the idea of John Bercow eating a kangaroo testicle.
Boris Johnson says Jeremy Corbyn “wants an election now – or that is what he was going to say, poor fellow … the only trouble is that the paragraph was censored by John McDonnell or possibly Keir Starmer
“So we have the astonishing spectacle of the leader of the opposition being prevented by his colleagues from engaging in his constitutional function which is to try to remove me from office.
“And in this age of creative litigation I am surprised that no one has yet sued him for breach of contract, though it now appears that the SNP may yet try to bundle him towards the throne, like some Konstantin Chernenko figure – look it up – reluctantly propelled to office in a Kremlin coup.”
Boris Johnson says: “We love Europe.” No applause. “Well, I love Europe, anyway.”
“But after 45 years of really dramatic constitutional change we must have a new relationship with the EU.
“Today in Brussels we are tabling what I believe are constructive and reasonable proposals. Which provide a compromise for both sides. We will under no circumstances have checks at or near the border in Northern Ireland. We will respect the peace process and the Good Friday agreement.
“And by a process of renewable democratic consent by the executive and assembly of Northern Ireland. We will go further and protect the existing regulatory arrangements for farmers and other businesses on both sides of the border.
“And at the same time we will allow the UK - whole and entire - to withdraw from the EU, with control of our own trade policy from the start. And to protect the union. And yes this is a compromise by the UK. And I hope very much that our friends understand that and compromise in their turn.”
Boris Johnson says: “I am going to quote that supreme authority in my family – my mother. My mother voted Leave.” Huge cheers.
After talking about how much he loves the NHS, the prime minister has moved on to talking about crime and the need to boost police numbers.
“We are committing now to rolling up the evil county lines drugs gangs that predate on young kids and send them to die in the streets to feed the cocaine habits of the bourgeoisie.
“We will make sure that the police have the legal powers and the political backing to use stop and search because it may be controversial but believe me that when a young man is going equipped with a bladed weapon there is nothing kinder or more loving or more life-saving you can do than ask him to turn out his pockets.”
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