Section:GDN 1N PaGe:8 Edition Date:190730 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 29/7/2019 21:05 cYanmaGentaYellowbl
- The Guardian Tuesday 30 July 2019
(^8) National
xSubjectxxxx
National
Politics
Sturgeon: Johnson pushing
UK towards no-deal chaos
with ‘dangerous’ strategy
Rowena Mason
Libby Brooks
Lisa O’Carroll
Nicola Sturgeon has accused Boris
Johnson of intentionally pushing the
UK towards a no-deal Brexit, despite
his “bluff and bluster” about wanting
an agreement with EU leaders.
After meeting Johnson face-to-face
in Edinburgh, the Scottish fi rst minis-
ter said she believed he was pursuing
a “dangerous” hardline strategy with
EU leaders. She made the accusation
on a day of chaos over the new prime
minister’s Brexit strategy, as he told
reporters in Scotland that there should
be no assumption in favour of a leaving
the EU without a deal on 31 October.
This was in direct contradiction to
remarks by his own deputy offi cial
spokeswoman earlier in the day and
an article on Sunday by Michael Gove,
his Cabinet Offi ce minister, who said
the government was “working on the
assumption” that EU leaders will not
change their mind and therefore pro-
ceeding with serious preparations for a
no-deal Brexit as its fi rst priority.
The prime minister also claimed
that he was reaching out a hand to EU
leaders to strike a deal, even though
his spokeswoman said he would not
sit down with his counterparts until
they agree to scrap the Irish backstop.
Speaking to reporters immedi-
ately after Johnson had left her offi cial
residence in Edinburgh, Sturgeon said:
“This is a government that is pursing a
no-deal strategy however much they
might deny that in public.”
“Behind all of the bluff and bluster
this is a government that is danger-
ous ... [not just] for Scotland but for
all of the UK. ”
Entering the meeting, Johnson had
been greeted by boos and heckles from
an assembled crowd of pro- independ-
ence and anti-Brexit protesters as he
arrived at Bute House and he chose to
leave after the hour-long meeting by
a back entrance.
He was criticised throughout his
leadership campaign for appearing to
promise diff erent things to diff erent
people, with moderate Conservative
backers convinced he will strike a deal
and hardline Eurosceptics relishing
the prospect of a no deal Brexit.
During the campaign, he said the
chances of a no deal were a “million to
one” but he also pledged to take the UK
out of the EU on 31 October “do or die”.
Johnson was warned ahead of his
visit by the Scottish Tory leader, Ruth
Davidson, that she could not sign up
to his no-deal plan , but their meet-
ing in Edinburgh yesterday was not
as stormy as expected. She said there
had been an “incredibly constructive
meeting” in which they talked about
“the need to make sure we can get a
deal across the line”.
Johnson heaped praise on her
before the meeting, claiming that he
was “with Ruth in wanting to avoid a
no-deal Brexit”, and describing her as
“a fantastic leader”.
Davidson has made no secret of her
reservations about the new prime min-
ister, and Johnson infuriated her last
week by sacking her ally David Mun-
dell as Scottish secretary, against her
advice. But after the meeting, David-
son said that she “wholeheartedly”
backed the his Brexit strategy.
While touring the Faslane military
base, Johnson insisted that there was
an “assumption” a new deal could be
made. “The backstop is no good. It’s
dead. It has got to go. The withdrawal
agreement is dead, it’s got to go. But
there is scope to do a new deal,” he
said. He argued that he did not want
the UK “to be aloof or hanging back,
I want us to engage, to hold out the
hand, to go the extra thousand miles”
to do a deal with EU leaders.
But just hours earlier, his deputy
▼ Scotland’s fi rst ministe r, Nicola
Sturgeon, with Boris Johnson at
her offi cial residence, Bute House
PHOTOGRAPH: DUNCAN MCGLYNN/REUTERS
offi cial spokeswoman said the govern-
ment’s main assumption is that the UK
is heading for a no deal.
“I think he has been clear that the
backstop has to be abolished,” she said.
“He remains confi dent that the EU
will stop claiming that the withdrawal
agreement cannot be changed. But
until that happens we must assume
that there will be a no deal .”
She also said Johnson would not be
taking up invitations from Angela Mer-
kel, the German chancellor, and the
French president, Emmanuel Macron,
until they are willing to concede the
Irish backstop must be replaced.
It also emerged that Johnson has
only just scheduled a call with Leo
Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach, who is
central to any decision taken by the
EU in relation to the backstop.
Irish offi cials are understood to
view the delay as indicative of an
unwillingness to enter serious talks.
Varadkar is adamant that the backstop
must stay to prevent a return to a hard
border on the island of Ireland.
Sturgeon added that the meeting
had also involved a “lively exchange
of views” about independence.
Asked about the prospect of a sec-
ond independence vote at Faslane,
Johnson restated his position that the
2014 vote had been “a once-in-a-gen-
eration consultation of the people ”.
Journal Polly Toynbee Page 1
Journal Leader comment Page 2
▲ Protesters greeted Boris Johnson
during his visit to Scotland
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