Boris Johnson lays down Brexit battlelines

Boris Johnson signals a general election is in the offing if parliament, EU fail to embrace his vision.

Boris Johnson, flanked by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Chancellor Sajid Javid, lets rip at his first House of Commons appearance as prime minister. Picture: AP

In 48 hours, Boris Johnson set a cracking tone for his prime ministership, clearly signalling a general election is in the offing if parliament and the EU fail to embrace his vision for a Brexit Britain.

Mr Johnson enthusiastically tore strips off the Labour leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell in such a contrast to the dull technical style of predecessor Theresa May, that the personal barbs and a list of immediate projects has set the stage for Britain to go to the polls as early as October 24 — a week before the October 31 Brexit deadline.

Mr Johnson’s joie de vie and calling “glumsters” anyone who doesn’t support his vision of a UK outside the EU as being the greatest and most prosperous economy in Europe, at the centre of a new network of trade deals, has drawn clear election lines.

He swiftly positioned the Tories as the party to deliver Brexit at the beginning of a golden age and thundered in his first appearance at the dispatch box as prime minister with Mr Corbyn as his target.

“Our mission is to deliver Brexit on the 31st of October for the purpose of uniting and re-energising our great United Kingdom and making this country the greatest place on Earth,” Mr Johnson told the House of Commons on Thursday (yesterday AEST).

He said he was not being hyperbolic as the UK could be the most prosperous economy in Europe by 2050, a feat that would mean drawing far ahead of France and then overtaking Germany. He promised British “children and grandchildren will be living longer, happier, healthier, wealthier lives”.

He reminded voters of Mr Corbyn’s unsavoury international associations and late conversion to a Remainer. “He has been paid by Press TV of Iran. He sides with the mullahs of Tehran rather than our friends in the United States over the Persian Gulf. How incredible that we should even think of entrusting him with the stewardship of this country’s security,’’ he said.

Mr Johnson ticked off a list of jobs to begin immediately: a review of immigration along the lines of the Australian points-based system; 20,000 new police, investment in schools and fast tracking a review of the care costs of pensioners. He foreshadowed cutting taxes to stimulate investment.

Already the inflexibility and dogma of EU leaders, failing to work towards a compromise or a hint that the dreaded Irish backstop would be revisited has played directly into Mr Johnson’s strategy. EU mandarins are certainly in apoplexy over his threats to withhold the £35 billion divorce payment.

In a clear sign of the nervousness of the EU, its chief negotiator Michel Barnier told member states in a briefing note about Mr Johnson’s “combative speech’’ that “no-deal will never be the EU’s choice, but we all have to be ready for all scenarios”.

Mr Johnson clearly upped the ante with the EU. “No country that values its independence, and indeed its self-respect, could agree to a treaty which signed away our economic independence and self-government as this (EU withdrawal agreement) backstop does,” he told parliament.

He has unlocked the budget to plan for a no-deal and appointed former leadership rival Michael Gove to head up the no-deal planning. Mrs May and some of the “Gaukesquad’’, her rebel Remain supporters such as former justice secretary David Gauke and former chancellor Philip Hammond, accused of plotting to undermine Mr Johnson, missed the parliamentary fireworks and attended the cricket at Lord’s.

Mr Johnson’s sacking of 11 ministers and the resignation of another six and his clean sweep of the special parliamentary advisers has created upheaval at the top level of government. In doing so, he has created even more divisions within the party: an almost untenable position in the long term.

He believes the May appeasement approach — trying to cobble a Brexit agreement detested by nearly everybody — was flawed and his direct “with me or you’re out’’ style began with his cabinet appointments.

His leadership rival Jeremy Hunt viewed being moved from foreign affairs to defence as a demotion and so he was out; arch Brexiteer Steve Baker wasn’t impressed with being offered a junior role and so was shown the door. Mr Baker, a key member of the European Research Group faction who supported Mr Johnson’s leadership campaign, derided being made a “powerless’’ offer by the new prime minister.

He had confidence Mr Johnson could deliver Brexit on October 31 otherwise he warned, “disaster awaits us’’.

In another key move that has alienated the ERG membership, Dominic Cummings, the maverick adviser who masterminded the Brexit campaign of 2016, has been installed as one of Mr Johnson’s chief advisers. In previous remarks, the divisive Mr Cummings said some “Eurosceptics should be treated like a metastasising tumour and excised from the UK body politic’’.