George Osborne hits out against ‘unrealistic’ Leave campaigners and mocks Boris Johnson for fumbling bid to become PM in ‘sour’ speech
Just weeks after being axed from the Cabinet, the former Chancellor signals his intent to remain in EU negotiation
GEORGE Osborne launched a stunning counter-attack on the Government last night as he branded Brexit Ministers “naive”.
Just weeks after being axed from the Cabinet, the former Chancellor mocked Boris Johnson and insisted Britain had to be “realistic” in negotiations to leave the EU.
In a speech in the US, Remainer Mr Osborne conceded free movement immigration rules may have to go — but not at the cost of safeguarding economic links.
He stormed: “Brexit won a majority — not a ‘hard Brexit’.
“We shouldn’t assume there is an off-the-shelf arrangement that works for the second largest economy in Europe.
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"Equally I find some of the take-it-or-leave-it bravado we hear from those who assume Europe has no option but to give us everything we want more than a little naive.
“We need to be realistic. Britain cannot expect to maintain all the benefits that came from EU membership without incurring any of the costs or the obligations.”
Separately, he enraged pro-Brexit backbenchers by saying he would relish the chance to return to the top of British politics as a flag-bearer for the “liberal mainstream”.
And in a dig at bitter rival BoJo, he used one of his rugby phrases to poke fun at his failed bid to replace David Cameron, saying: “If the ball came loose at the back of the scrum, I wouldn’t fumble it.”
Former Cabinet Minister Iain Duncan Smith accused Mr Osborne of a “coded attack” on Theresa May.
He said: “Rather than go away and think about everything he’s going to tell everyone he got everything right and that really he should be running the country.”
Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg added: “George Osborne warned during the campaign that we would have all these disasters if we left, none of which have happened.
"This is sour grapes.”
Mr Osborne had predicted Brexit would trigger an immediate recession.
Speaking to the FT yesterday, he said it was still “too early to tell” its impact but the fall in the Pound helped “absorb the shock”.