Daily Express Friday, August 23, 2019 7DX1STFOR BREXIT
says Brexit deal is possible
come out of the EU on October 31,
deal or no deal.”
He added: “Let’s get Brexit done,
let’s get it done sensibly and prag-
matically and in the interests of
both sides and let’s not wait until
October 31.
“Let’s get on now in deepening
and intensifying the friendship and
partnership between us.”
Mr Johnson repeated his insist-
ence that the backstop – which
could keep the UK indefinitely tied
to the EU’s customs union – must
be scrapped or the country will
leave the bloc on October 31 with-out a deal. But he insisted “alterna-
tive arrangements” to the backstop
could be found which would guar-
antee no checks at the Northern
Ireland border.
He said: “When you look at the
border with Northern Ireland,
under no circumstances will the
UK government be instituting,
imposing, checks or controls of any
kind at that border.
“We think there are ways of pro-
tecting the integrity of the single
market and allowing the UK to exit
from the EU, all and entire and per-
fect as it were. It was very interest-ing to hear some of positive noises
that we’re now hearing about the
ways that can be done. We look for-
ward to developing those thoughts
in the next few weeks.”
Mr Johnson welcomed the
response of Chancellor Merkel
when they met in Berlin on
Wednesday.
He declared: “She said if we can
do this in two years then we can do
this in 30 days and I admire that
‘can-do’ spirit that she seemed to
have and I think she is right.
“I think that the technical solu-
tions are readily available and theyhave been discussed at great length.
You can have trusted-trader
schemes, you can have electronic
pre-clearing for goods moving
across the border. I just want to
repeat one crucial thing, under no
circumstances will the UK be put-
ting checks at the frontier.
“We don’t think it is necessary
from the point of view of the EU to
do that to protect the integrity of
the single market, we think there
are other ways of doing that. We
have got I think adequate time to
do it, let’s get on and do it.”
Mrs Merkel yesterday sought toplay down the importance of the
30-day period she had proposed
for finding a solution, saying it was
merely “an allegory for being able
to do it in a short period of time”.
But Mr Johnson is expected to
step up his push for a breakthrough
on Brexit talks in France at the G
Summit in Biarritz tomorrow with
world and EU leaders where he is
expected to hold face-to-face talks
with US President Donald Trump
and EU Council President Donald
Tusk.OPINION: PAGE 12Brothers in arms... Arm in arm, President Macron and Prime Minister Johnson head indoors to get down to the business of BrexitBest foot forward... Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson relax as they chat around a coffee table at the Elysee Palace in Paris yesterdayPrime Minister faces the media during visitMr Johnson covers his eyes during briefingHost Macron gives thumbs up to reportersPictures: REUTERS, GETTY