LONDON - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Tuesday dismissed as “crazy” a government proposal for customs arrangements with the EU after Brexit, forcing cabinet divisions into the open once again.
Johnson, an outspoken supporter of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, said the plan backed by Prime Minister Theresa May would not fulfil many of the promises of Brexit.
“If you have the new customs partnership, you have a crazy system whereby you end up collecting the tariffs on behalf of the EU at the UK frontier,” he told the Daily Mail.
He added: “If the EU decides to impose punitive tariffs on something the UK wants to bring in cheaply there’s nothing you can do.”
Citing the pledges of the Brexit campaign, Johnson said: “That’s not taking back control of your trade policy, it’s not taking back control of your laws, it’s not taking back control of your borders.”
Last year, London put forward two options to ease cross-border trade with the EU but, with Brexit looming in March 2019, has still yet to make a final decision on which to pursue.
May’s preferred option, the customs partnership, was reportedly rejected at meeting of her senior ministers last week, while Brussels has also condemned it as “magical thinking”. (AFP)