Boris Johnson warns Britain will be forced into Greek-style austerity with Chequers plan

Britain risks being forced into Greek-style austerity if the Chequers plan is finalised, Boris Johnson warns

  • Boris Johnson said there was a ‘direct read across’ from Greece to Brexit Britain 
  • Said May’s Chequers plan to follow EU rules on goods handed Brussels control
  • The EU imposed swingeing cuts on Greece in return for financial bailouts 
  • Johnson said Britain needed a clean Brexit to take back control next March  

Britain risks being forced into Greek-style austerity by the EU if Theresa May’s Chequers plan is finalised, Boris Johnson warned today.

Renewing his attack on the Prime Minister’s Brexit blueprint, Mr Johnson said the  plans were an ‘historic mistake’ that would leave Brussels in charge. 

The former foreign secretary said Mrs May’s proposals – which say Britain should follow EU rules on goods – would mean the UK could not protect itself from EU punishment.

He said it was the same situation imposed on Greece in the aftermath of the financial crisis, when Brussels arranged loans for the government in Athens but only in return for huge reforms and swingeing cuts.

Britain will be forced into Greek-style austerity by the EU if Theresa May’s Chequers plan is finalised, Boris Johnson (pictured in Oxfordshire earlier this month) warned today

Punishing reforms forced on Greece by the EU have provoked years of protests (file image in June 2015) 

Punishing reforms forced on Greece by the EU have provoked years of protests (file image in June 2015) 

Mr Johnson made his latest attack on Mrs May in his weekly Daily Telegraph column.

The Prime Minister’s proposals – agreed at a high stakes Cabinet in July that provoked the resignations of Mr Johnson and David Davis – call for a free trade zone between Britain and the EU after Brexit.

Britain would follow EU rules on goods to ensure existing trade could continue but would leave the single market and customs union. 

Mr Johnson said: ‘The tragedy of the Greeks was that they never had the nerve to tell their EU masters to get lost.

‘They were never able to take back control, to run their economy in the interest of their electors.’

Mr Johnson added: ‘That has a direct read-across for Britain.

Renewing his attack on Theresa May's (pictured yesterday in Maidenhead) Brexit blueprint, Mr Johnson said the plans were an 'historic mistake' that would leave Brussels in charge

Renewing his attack on Theresa May’s (pictured yesterday in Maidenhead) Brexit blueprint, Mr Johnson said the plans were an ‘historic mistake’ that would leave Brussels in charge

‘Under the Chequers proposals, we are about to make a historic mistake and turn this country into a rules-taker from Brussels, with no say on those rules – not just for industrial goods and agri-foods but across a wide range of economic activity.

‘Look at the humiliation of Greece – an EU member – and ask yourself how the EU will legislate with the UK out of the room, and when we can no longer do anything to protect ourselves from the imposition of those rules.

‘Will the EU act in our interests and the interests of UK jobs and growth, or the interests of the EU? The answer is clear. It is written in graffiti all over Greece.

‘Why, then, are we proposing to turn the UK, in important respects, into the perpetual punk of Brussels? Chuck Chequers.’ 

What is in Theresa May’s Brexit blueprint? 

These are some of the key features of the Chequers plan being pushed by the UK government:

  • A new free trade area in goods, based on a ‘common rulebook’ of EU regulations necessary. This will require the UK to commit by treaty to match EU rules
  • ‘Mobility’ rules which will end automatic freedom of movement, but still allow UK and EU citizens to travel without visas for tourism and temporary work. It will also enable businesses to move staff between countries. 
  • Continued UK participation in and funding of European agencies covering areas like chemicals, aviation safety and medicines
  • A ‘facilitated customs arrangement’, removing the need for customs checks at UK-EU ports. It would allow differing UK and EU tariffs on goods from elsewhere in the world to be paid at the border, removing the need for rebates in the vast majority of cases. In theory this allows Britain to sign trade deals.
  • Keeping services – such as banking or legal support – outside of the common rule book, meaning the UK is completely free to set its own regulations. It accepts it will mean less trade in services between the UK and EU. 
  • Continued co-operation on energy and transport, a ‘common rulebook’ on state aid and commitments to maintain high standards of environmental and workplace protections. 
  • A security deal allowing continued UK participation in Europol and Eurojust, ‘co-ordination’ of UK and EU policies on foreign affairs, defence and development.
  • Continued use of the EHIC health insurance card. 

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