A key ally of the German chancellor has called for Boris Johnson to be sacked to ensure progress in the Brexit talks, as the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, warned of a continuing lack of clarity from Britain’s warring cabinet.
Speaking before a vote in the European parliament on Tuesday on the progress of the talks, Manfred Weber, the German leader of the largest political grouping in the chamber, told MEPs that Theresa May should remove the foreign secretary from his post to provide greater certainty on the UK’s positions.
“The question for the moment is who shall I call in London [on Brexit]?” Weber said. “Who speaks for the British government – Theresa May, Boris Johnson, or even David Davis?
“By reading Johnson’s attacks against his own prime minister he shows the British government is trapped by their own party quarrels and political contradictions … Please sack Johnson because we will have clear answers as to who is responsible for the British position.”
As Johnson, the Brexit secretary, David Davis, and trade secretary, Liam Fox, gave their speeches at the Conservative conference in Manchester on Tuesday, Weber added: “First Florence, and then Manchester. We listen to a lot of speeches but the substance is different. London is very creative at putting red lines on the table for pleasing their party supporters but they fail to have any solution for the voters and citizens.
“I fully agree with Theresa May on at least one single point she said [in her Florence speech last month]. We can do so much better than this. Theresa May, please don’t put your party first … Show leadership on content.”
The chamber in Strasbourg, which will have a right of veto over any future withdrawal agreement with the UK, further advised EU leaders on the European council that there had been insufficient progress on the opening issues of citizens’ rights, the divorce bill and the Irish border to allow trade talks to commence. The leaders will make a decision on whether talks can move on to discuss the terms of a transition deal and a future trading relationship at a summit on 19 October.The parliament later overwhelmingly supported a resolution condemning the UK for its handling of the negotiations and backing the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, to hold out for the EU’s demands on money and the “indispensable” role of European court of justice in overseeing an agreement. Among those who voted in support of the resolution, which also accused the government of discriminating against EU nationals, were the Tory MEPs Richard Ashworth and Julie Girling.
Weber’s concerns were echoed by the European parliament’s Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, who told MEPs: “I want to express a big worry of mine. And that is the lack of clarity – or I can even say disunity – at the other side of the negotiation table. Hammond, Fox. Johnson, May.”
The comments reflect deep concerns in Brussels that even in the wake of May’s Florence speech, in which she made a series of well-received pledges, there remains deep uncertainty about the British government’s future approach due to the internecine cabinet warfare.
Addressing MEPs on Tuesday, Juncker said May’s address two weeks ago had been “conciliatory”, but he added: “When it comes to Brexit we still cannot talk about the future with any real clarity … Speeches are not negotiating positions.”
Juncker said he was awaiting concrete proposals from the UK, following the Tory conference, on what financial commitments it was willing to honour and that the “devil as always will be in the detail”.
Barnier also sketched out his concerns about the “serious divergences” between the UK and Brussels negotiating teams, “especially in the financial settlement”.With apparent reference to attempts by Davis and May to persuade EU capitals of their arguments for early trade talks, the commission president added: “For those in the UK, who think the UK should just go over Michel Barnier’s head, I remind them that the commission has been appointed by the 27 member states and the choice of Michel Barnier has been welcomed by them. He acts on their behalf on the basis of clear negotiating mandates.”
To applause from MEPs, Barnier said that the UK most honour all the commitments it had made as a member, “no more, no less … no more, no less”.
He added: “We will never accept for the 27 to pay for what was decided on by 28. The taxpayers of the 27 will not have to pay for the consequences of a decision they did not take.”
Barnier backed the parliament’s resolution and further accused the British government of implementing discriminatory policies against EU nationals since the referendum result, telling MEPs that worries over a future weakening of rights was why it was crucial for the bloc to have the European court of justice oversee any future withdrawal agreement.
He said: “This concern as you recall in your resolution is aggravated by certain discriminatory measures taken a few months ago by the UK authorities … We need a consistent interpretation of the agreement on both sides of the Channel. That only the ECJ can guarantee.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Exiting the EU said: “We have made considerable progress on citizens’ rights, Northern Ireland and Ireland, and have reassured our EU partners in regards to our mutual financial obligations … We want to get on to discussing the future deep economic and security partnership that we believe is in all our interests.”
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