Theresa May says 'I do believe in Brexit' as senior Tories hit back at Boris Johnson over his claims PM's Brexit plans are 'deranged'

Theresa May appeared on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday
PA
Ella Wills30 September 2018
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Theresa May and other senior Conservatives have hit back at Boris Johnson after he branded the Prime Minister's Brexit policy as "deranged" and "preposterous".

Mr Johnson's incendiary comments came as the Tory Party's annual conference began in Birmingham, with Mrs May seeking to put herself on the front foot by announcing a new levy on foreigners buying homes in the UK and plans for a national festival in 2022.

Asked about his suggestion that her Chequers plan for the future relationship between the UK and the EU was "deranged", Mrs May insisted she was acting in "the national interest".

Clash: Boris Johnson has branded Theresa May's Brexit plan "deranged" and "preposterous"
PA

She told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: "I believe that the plan that we have put forward is a plan that is in the national interest.

"This is a plan which ensures we deliver on the vote of the British people."

It came as Mrs May denied that her Chequers blueprint for future relations with the EU was dead and urged the Tory party to "come together" and back it.

However the PM refused to deny that a no deal Brexit could lead to a hard border being imposed in Ireland.

Asked repeatedly by Marr if there would be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland if the UK crashed out without a deal, the Prime Minister said the government was "committed" to ensuring that did not happen.

When pressed by Marr that she "cannot guarantee that there won't be a hard border", the PM simply said "the Government is committed to doing what it can to avoid" one.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Mr Johnson sought to draw a contrast between his own approach to Brexit and that of the Prime Minister, who campaigned to Remain in the 2016 referendum.

"Unlike the Prime Minister, I fought for this, I believe in it, I think it's the right thing for our country and I think that what is happening now is, alas, not what people were promised in 2016," he said.

Ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Theresa May's Brexit plan is 'deranged'
AP

But Mrs May insisted: "I do believe in Brexit. Crucially, I believe in delivering Brexit in a way that respects the vote and delivers on the vote of the British people while also protecting our union, protecting jobs and ensuring we make a success of Brexit for the future."

Mrs May said that the blueprint agreed at her country residence in July was not dead, despite being branded unworkable by EU leaders in Salzburg and receiving a frosty reception from many Tory MPs and activists.

She said the onus was on the EU to come forward with detailed explanations of its concerns, along with counter-proposals for discussion.

Mrs May told the Marr Show that Chequers is "the only plan on the table that delivers on the Brexit vote and also delivers for the people of Northern Ireland".

Asked whether she was ready to make further compromises, Mrs May said: "They've said there's much of the Chequers plan that they can accept and that they want to talk through with us.

"Where they have problems, let's actually hear them and it's only then that you can actually identify what the issue really is, where there are issues that lie behind this.

"My mood is to listen to what the EU have to say about their concerns and to sit down and talk them through with them.

"They've made statements about their concerns which we actually think we have counter-arguments for. We think we are putting forward a proposal that will maintain the integrity of the single market."

Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party Ruth Davidson (L) and her partner Jen Wilson (R) arriving at conference today
EPA

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson called for "a period of silence" from Mr Johnson, pointing out that he had given his endorsement when in Government to Brexit policies he was now criticising.

And former Brexit secretary David Davis, who quit Mrs May's Cabinet along with Mr Johnson in protest at the Chequers plan, was dismissive of his fellow Leaver's proposals on housing and a bridge to Ireland.

"I think one of the blights of British politics is politicians having fantastic ideas that cost a fortune and don't do much good," Mr Davis told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday.

"Boris is a great mate of mine, we have a very knockabout friendship, but quite a lot of his ideas, I think, are good headlines but not necessarily good policies."

Former Brexit minister David Davis was dismissive of Boris Johnson's proposals
EPA

Mr Davis confirmed he would vote against Chequers if it came before the House of Commons in its current form, but rejected Labour suggestions that defeat for Mrs May at the hands of Tory rebels would collapse the Government.

"I will vote against Chequers, full stop, and it won't lead to a general election," he said.

"We are capable of managing this through."

Mrs May used her own interview with The Sunday Times to set out new plans for a stamp duty surcharge of between 1 per cent - 3 per cent on the price of property bought by people and businesses who do not pay tax in Britain.

The money raised would go towards measures to tackle rough sleeping.

Setting out her plans for a festival in post-Brexit Britain, she said: "We want to showcase what makes our country great today.

"We want to capture that spirit for a new generation, celebrate our nation's diversity and talent, and mark this moment of national renewal with a once-in-a-generation celebration."

Signalling that she intended to remain in Number 10 for years to come, Mrs May said: "There's a long-term job to do."

Additional reporting by Press Association.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in