Boris Johnson sets out ‘Super Canada’ Brexit blueprint to rival Theresa May’s Chequers plan
Former foreign secretary is calling for Britain and the EU to negotiate a free-trade agreement that mirrors the deal the bloc signed with Ottawa in 2016
Former British foreign secretary Boris Johnson unveiled his vision for Brexit on Friday, urging Prime Minister Theresa May to “chuck” her so-called Chequers plan for a “Super Canada” trade deal.
The ardent Brexiteer, who resigned from the government in July over the issue, described her current proposals for Britain’s future relationship with the EU as “moral and intellectual humiliation”.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Johnson outlined a six-point alternative plan, that would scrap a backstop agreement struck with the European Union last December over the contentious Irish border.
He argued that adopting technology and making customs checks away from the frontier would prevent a return to a hard border – a sticking point in negotiations and a key factor in May’s proposal.
Johnson called for Britain and the EU to negotiate a free-trade agreement – dubbed “Super Canada” – mirroring the deal the bloc signed with Ottawa in 2016.
It removed the vast majority of customs duties on exports crossing the Atlantic.