Boris Johnson will stay on and steps back from resigning after accepting Theresa May’s Brexit plan
BORIS Johnson has stepped back from resigning after accepting Theresa May’s new Brexit plan.
Senior Tory sources claimed the Foreign Secretary has come to terms with payments to the EU continuing after Brexit for a short period in exchange for continued single market access.
Critics of Boris branded the shift a big climbdown.
In his 4,000 word article to map out a ‘glorious Brexit’ last weekend, Mr Johnson insisted the jumbo cash sums of £10bn a year must end the day we leave the EU.
But his allies also made it clear that his red line is that the payments must stop when the transition period of around two years ends.
Boris has also been reassured that Theresa May will not suggest a Swiss-style model that would see Westminster have to shadow EU laws and euro judges’ verdicts.
Mrs May will unveil her fresh plan during a landmark speech in Florence on Friday to end the impasse with Brussels chiefs.
She will summon her Cabinet for a special meeting to agree the final version of the text.
The mop-haired Tory sparked frenzied speculation on Monday that he was about to walk out after musing about his Cabinet future.
But quizzed while at the UN in New York on if he would resign, Boris said: “No. It’s all going very well”.
He said in an interview with The Guardian last night: "I am mystified by all this stuff,” Johnson said. “Not me, guv. I don’t know where it is coming from, honestly. It feels to me like an attempt to keep the great snore-athon story about my article running.
"I am confident [Theresa May] will set out an exciting and positive vision for Brexit and it will be a speech around which everyone can unite."
On his bitter Cabinet feud over Brexit with Chancellor Philip Hammond, he added: “We are a government working together, we are a nest of singing birds”.
No10 also insisted Mr Johnson would not resign, with the PM’s official spokesman saying: "She thinks he is doing a good job".
In another positive sign, it also emerged that he has agreed to fly to Florence to be in the front row to listen to Mrs May’s speech, alongside Mr Hammond and other senior Cabinet ministers.
Boris and the PM met up for talks in the margins of a Commonwealth reception.
They are both attending the two day annual UN General Assembly.
The PM again opened the door to continuing lump sum cash payments to the EU after Brexit.
Asked if the UK was ready to continue to pay money to into the Brussels budget, Mrs May said: "We are very clear that we are a law abiding nation and we stand by our obligations.
“There may be projects that we want to be part of and that may involve contributing to the costs of those programmes.
"But these issues are part of the negotiations.
The Sun revealed Boris believes Brexit negotiations will fail and end up with Theresa May being humiliated.
The Foreign Secretary told friends that it’s vital the government prepares to walk away from the stalled talks as the EU will not give the UK any big concessions.
But asked about his private views, he said: "No, no,no, we are going to deliver a fantastic Brexit".
Senior Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg said that Mr Johnson’s article was “very important” because it provided the “positive vision of Brexit”.
He said: “We have too much Eeyore and not enough Red Rum.
“I think he was putting some positivity to Government policy which was in danger of being bogged down."
Senior British diplomats have told German leader Angela Merkel that Mrs May will offer at least £18billion in payments to the EU budget after Brexit.
The cash in exchange for continued single market access will fill the giant hole in Brussels coffers created by our EU withdrawal.
The UK’s payments could also last until the next general election in 2022.
The PM hopes the offer will break a three-month deadlock in Brexit talks and persuade the EU to move on to opening up negotiations for a trade deal.
No10 sources refused to deny the report in the Financial Times, but insisted there would be no figure quoted in Mrs May’s Florence speech.
The Sun has also learned that the transition period could last as long as 30 months.
It came as European Council president Donald Tusk announced he would fly to London next Tuesday for more Brexit talks with the PM.
