‘Blame game’: Boris Johnson slammed as Britain heads for no-deal Brexit
The boss of the EU has ripped into Boris Johnson in extraordinary comments where he accused the prime minister of betraying his country.
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EU boss Guy Verhofstadt has called Boris Johnson a “traitor” for trying to take Britain out of the EU.
The Brussels boss tore into the PM and his Brexit plans in the European Parliament — with just 22 days to do before the UK leaves the EU.
He said Johnson was waging a “blame game” against everyone but himself.
In an extraordinary rant he blasted: “The only one who must not be blamed is Mr Johnson himself apparently. All the rest are the source of all problems. That is what is happening today.
“Everyone not playing his game are traitors or collaborators, or surrenders.
“In my opinion the real traitor is he or she who will risk bringing disaster upon its country, economy and its citizens by pushing Britain out of the EU. That is my opinion, a traitor.”
Just minutes earlier European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told the European parliament that Johnson’ plans just won’t fly.
The Brexit negotiator ripped up the PM’s new proposals for a deal but did hint that one was “still possible” if there was goodwill on both sides.
Mr Barnier said “we are really not in a position to be able to find an agreement” at the moment.
He blasted the British proposals as “not properly tested” and based on technology which hasn’t been developed yet.
“The British proposal does not give us the same safety net as the backstop,” he insisted.
Britain is now on course for a no-deal Brexit after Germany demanded Northern Ireland remain “forever” tied to the European Union.
A no-deal Brexit now appears inevitable, with the bigger question becoming when, rather than if, it was likely to happen.
A blame game erupted on Tuesday after an anonymous source briefed selected media about a private call between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
The unnamed figure in No 10 claimed that Berlin’s insistence on keeping Northern Ireland in the EU customs union made a Brexit deal “essentially impossible, not just now but ever”.
Mr Johnson will be forced under law to seek a Brexit extension on October 19, but the UK and the European now appear to be poles apart from a compromise.
Mr Johnson remained adamant he would stick to his pledge to leave the EU by October 31, despite no clear loophole to the law he has dubbed the “Surrender Act”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said there had been a “frank exchange” with Mrs Merkel and that the talks had reached a “critical point”, but refused to be drawn any further on the “source” claims.
The UK and European Union need to sort out a deal before a summit next week to give a deal any chance of getting done by October 31.
European Council president Donald Tusk accused Mr Johnson of engaging in a “stupid blame game” ahead of the summit.
Tusk tweeted directly at Johnson: “At stake is the future of Europe and the UK as well as the security and interests of our people.”
“You don’t want a deal, you don’t want an extension, you don’t want to revoke. Quo Vadis (where are you going)?”
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The bitter division has increased the chances of Britain going to an election with Mr Johnson desperate to earn a majority after he kicked out 21 MPs from the party for voting against a no-deal Brexit.
Mr Johnson won the prime minister’s job from Theresa May by campaigning on a “do or die” platform that Britain would leave Europe on October 31.
A briefing note, attributed to Mr Johnson’s hard line backroom player Dominic Cummings, was circulated claiming that the government would find a way around the Benn Act.
The Benn Act, is legislation presented by Labour MP Hilary Benn, and has been signed by opposition leaders and recently-sacked Conservatives.
It requires the Government to either reach a deal — or gain Parliament’s approval for a No Deal Brexit by October 19.
If the Government does not do either by the October deadline, the legislation would then require the Prime Minister to write to the EU to request another extension.
The date for this extension, as suggested in the bill, would be 31 January 2020.
Irish deputy prime minister Simon Coveney said there was “a lot of misinformation going around” and that the Irish government and the EU were working “flat out” to get a deal.
“However, that deal cannot come at any cost. The British Government has responsibilities on the island of Ireland,” he said.
Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster said Mrs Merkel’s reported comments showed the true objective of the EU and Dublin was to permanently “trap” Northern Ireland in a customs union.
Originally published as ‘Blame game’: Boris Johnson slammed as Britain heads for no-deal Brexit