Boris Johnson WON’T be able to change Brexit deal or ‘hold EU hostage’ if he becomes PM, Eurocrats vow
European sources insisted they would veto any bid to rewrite the existing withdrawal agreement
EU leaders plan to block Boris Johnson from tearing up the Brexit deal if he becomes PM, they vowed today.
Brussels officials insisted that a new Brexiteer leader like Boris will fail in any bid to reopen talks and scrap the hated backstop plan.
And they vowed not to be "held hostage" by Britain in the event of a long delay to Brexit.
The blast came as Europe ministers thrashed out a deal to keep Britain in the EU until the end of this year as long as Theresa May promises to act in good faith during the extension.
They dismissed fears that the PM could be replaced in the near future by a new leader who then tries to rip up the existing withdrawal agreement and junk the backstop.
One source told The Sun: "Let Boris come. Then it’s the same - he walks away with this deal or no deal.
"If he wants to tear up the withdrawal agreement we’re not renegotiating so it doesn’t make any difference."
Another minister described Brexit as "a war going on in the Tory party that needs to be settled, and we don’t want to be held hostage by the war".
DELAY DEBATE
Officials met in Luxembourg today to thrash out the EU's position on three key demands Britain must accept to unlock a delay.
They insisted the UK holds EU elections, signs up to a "sincere co-operation clause" and agrees not to try and renegotiate the withdrawal agreement.
Sources in the room told The Sun that "not a single country" explicitly opposed the idea of a long extension during the discussion.
But France, supported by others, said any such delay should not stretch beyond the end of the year.
An EU diplomat told The Sun: "There was unanimity in the room that nobody wants no deal.
"Everyone wants to give the UK the chance to pass the Withdrawal Agreement. The trend was in the direction of a longer extension.
"The French started off tough but even they came around to June 30 or even longer, but said this needs to come with very, very tough conditions."
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France, Greece, Slovenia and Austria raised the most concerns about a long extension saying it could damage the EU's "credibility" with voters.
But Germany, Poland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and Hungary all spoke up in favour of giving the UK much more time.
Tomorrow Mrs May will meet EU leaders to hammer out a formal agreement on delaying Brexit again - to stop Britain crashing out with No Deal on Friday.
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