Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson was squarely put in his place over Brexit negotiations live on Sky News last night, as reporter Beth Rigby called him “deluded” to his face.
Despite flat rejections of her plea to reopen the UK’s ‘divorce’ agreement with the EU, Johnson insisted Prime Minister Theresa May is now in a position to “go to Brussels and get the freedom clause that the UK needs.”
An incredulous Rigby interjected: “Just as she rides off on her unicorn to Brussels, the reality check landed in my phone, this is from [European Council president Donald Tusk]’s spokesperson: ‘The backstop is part of the withdrawal agreement and the withdrawal agreement is not open for renegotiation. The December European Council conclusions are very clear on this point…’”
Shaking her head in amazement, Rigby then tells Johnson: “You lot are deluded, it’s not happening, it’s not happening.”
An increasingly flustered Johnson fired back: “With the greatest respect to Donald Tusk, it takes two to tango. There is a negotiation going on. You would expect him to say that, but believe me, the EU has every incentive to give us the deal that we need.”
The stand-off came as May won a Commons majority on Tuesday night to seek fresh talks, but within minutes of the vote the EU and the Irish government declared they would not renegotiate the package, making it increasingly likely she will crash out of the 27-nation block without any agreement.