Theresa May raps Boris Johnson over his claims that UK will have left the EU within two years
The news came as one of Boris' ministers claimed that the Foreign Secretary, who campaigned for Brexit, did not actually want to leave the EU and was "shocked" following the result
THERESA May rapped Boris Johnson last night for claiming the UK will be out of the EU within two years.
No10 said the PM alone will decide Brexit’s timing.
A source said: “The decision to trigger Article 50 is hers. She will be doing it at a time when she believes it is in the best interest for Britain.
“The Prime Minister’s position has not changed.”
He told Sky News: “I don’t actually think we will necessarily need to spend a full two years. But let’s see how we go.”
It was seen as the first public confirmation by a senior minister of the PM’s Brexit timetable.
And one of Mr Johnson’s ministers declared Boris did not want Britain to quit the EU.
He was also said to be “bumbling” and clueless after the shock Brexit vote.
Sir Alan Duncan made the claims in the BBC documentary Brexit: A Very British Coup?
In footage filmed the day before the vote, Sir Alan said: “I’ve always thought that Boris’s wish was to lose by one so that he could be the heir apparent without having all the . . . s**t of clearing up the mess.”
He said that by championing Brexit Boris, who later quit the race to replace David Cameron as Tory leader, could become the “darling of the activists”.
Shadow Brexit Secretary Emily Thornberry said she was appalled by the revelations.