David Davis has said Boris Johnson’s Brexit tantrum had no impact on the Prime Minister’s landmark Florence address.
The Foreign Secretary had threatened to quit the Cabinet unless Theresa May conceded to the Brexit demand, plunging the government into turmoil.
He finally signed up to the PM’s Brexit offer at the eleventh hour with allies claiming his intervention was a victory as it ensured Mrs May ruled out paying into the EU budget after we fully quit the bloc.
But the Brexit Secretary said the policies laid out in the PM’s speech in Italy were being drawn up months ago and Mr Johnson’s flounce had no impact whatsoever.
He also mocked the Foreign Secretary’s claims the European Union can ‘go whistle’ for money.
Brexit Secretary David David said Boris Johnson’s tantrum over Brexit had no impact over the Prime Minister’s Florence speech
Quizzed about Mr Johnson’s tantrum on the BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show, Mr Davis said: ‘I have to say, the policy in the Prime Minister’s speech had been coming for a long time.
‘Some of the transition we were designing right at the beginning of the year. Some of it we have been designing months ago.
‘I don’t think there has been any change in the last few weeks.’
Mr Johnson plunged the government into crisis after he published an explosive 4,000-word Brexit article in the Daily Telegraph just days before the PM was die to give her flagship speech in Florence.
While allies of the Foreign Secretary briefed that he was ready to quit the Cabinet unless his demands were ceded to.
David Davis also mocked Boris Johnson over his claims the EU can ‘go whistle’ for more money. It has now emerged the government will pay another 20 billion euros into the EU budget in a two year transition deal
David Davis and Boris Jonson both travelled to Florence to watch the PM to deliver her Brexit speech in an orchestrated show of Cabinet unity
His intervention sparked a furious response from many of his Tory Party colleagues, with Home Secretary Amber Rudd accusing him of ‘backseat driving’.
Asked if he thought Mr Johnson was backseat driving, Mr Davis laughed and said: ‘My car has only got two seats.’
Pressed if he thought the article was a ‘helpful intervention’ said ‘it was a good interview’.
And he mocked Mr Johnson for telling the House of Commons earlier this summer that the EU could ‘go whistle’ if it wants more money.
Asked about the comments, Mr Davis said: ‘You’ll have to ask Boris about that.’
It has now emerged that Britain will pay 20 billion euros into the EU budget for a two-year transition deal.
Mr Davis added: ‘Boris signed up to this. Boris was there on Friday saying this is a good outcome.’