EU boss Guy Verhofstadt calls Boris Johnson a traitor THREE TIMES in one rant as Brussels rips apart his Brexit plans
EU BOSS Guy Verhofstadt has called Boris Johnson a “traitor” THREE times today – for trying to take Britain out of the EU.
The sneering Brussels boss tore into the PM and his Brexit plans today in the European Parliament, with just 22 days to go before we leave the EU.
He said Boris was waging a “blame game” with Brexit and trying to point the finger at everyone but himself as to why a deal hadn’t been done.
In an extraordinary rant he blasted: “The only one who must not be blamed is Mr Johnson himself, apparently!
“But all the rest are the source of all problems. That is what is happening today.
“All those who are not playing his game are traitors or collaborators, or surrenders!
“In my opinion, the real traitor is he or she who will risk bringing disaster upon his country, economy and its citizens by pushing Britain out of the European Union.
“That is my opinion, a traitor.”
A furious Mr Verhofstadt raged at Boris for putting forward a “virtual proposal” which wasn’t serious at all.
And he slammed Labour MPs for even thinking of voting for a deal.
The comments provoked a fuming reaction from Brexit Party MEPs in the European Parliament this evening.
European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker added that “we are not accepting this blame game which started in London”.
He insisted he was still “working on a deal” and in the “coming days” we will find out what’s happening.
It comes as:
- It was revealed that Boris will meet the Irish PM tomorrow lunchtime in the North West of England to discuss Brexit
- A court said it would rule on whether it would force Boris to delay Brexit after the 19 October
- Michel Barnier said today a deal was “possible” but would be “difficult”
- It was rumoured that the EU was ready to throw Boris Johnson a lifetime with a time-limit on the backstop to 2025
- And Brussels are also considering a long delay of six months – keeping us in the bloc until June
- Parliament will have a rare Saturday session after next week’s EU summit to deal with the fall-out
Just minutes earlier Michel Barnier told the EP that Boris’ plans just won’t fly.
The Brexit negotiator ripped up the PM’s new proposals for a deal but did hint that one was “still possible” if there was goodwill on both sides.
Mr Barnier said “we are really not in a position to be able to find an agreement” at the moment.
He blasted the British proposals as “not properly tested” and based on technology which hasn’t been developed yet.
“The British proposal does not give us the same safety net as the backstop,” he insisted.
“There is a significant risk to the integrity of the Single Market.”
He added: “It is not something we can accept. It replaces an operational, legal, practical solution by one which is just a temporary solution.”
The outburst sparked fury from Nigel Farage and other Brexit Party MEPs this evening.
A huge slanging match broke out where the Brexit Party leader blasted a fellow MEP as a “stuck up snob” for suggesting that the people didn’t know what they voted for.
“We will never accept a German chancellor attempting to annex a part of our nation,” he told EU bosses.
“Your wretched treaty is off the table, support for a clean-break Brexit is growing and it will be the winning ticket at the next general election.”
It came just hours after Leo Varadkar poured cold water on chances of a Brexit breakthrough saying sealing a deal will be “very difficult.
Ahead of 11th-hour peace talks with Boris Johnson – expected in the coming days – the Taoiseach insisted that “big gaps” remained between both sides.
After a 40-minute chat with the PM last night he suggested that it wouldn’t be possible to come to an agreement.
He said: “I think it’s going to be very difficult to secure an agreement by next week, quite frankly.”
And he attacked Boris claim he had offered a “fair and reasonable” concession on Northern Ireland, arguing that there had been no “real” offers from the UK
“Essentially, what the UK has done is repudiated the deal that we negotiated in good faith with prime minister [Theresa] May’s government over two years and have sort of put half of that now back on the table, and are saying that’s a concession. And of course it isn’t really,” he said.
His comments also hit back at a No10 source who said yesterday he had reneged on secret Brexit compromises on Northern Ireland.
The Times reported a possible movement was discussed on the sidelines of the UN New York Summit.
But Mr Varadkar came out swinging against Boris’ new proposals last week, leaving the chances of a deal hanging by a thread.
It comes after Boris begged him and Angela Merkel yesterday to engage in his plans, which so far they have refused to do.
The pair are expected to meet later this week ahead of a crunch EU summit in days.
The UK has urged the EU to “move quickly” to prevent a No Deal Brexit.
But Brussels believes that the PM will be forced into extending Article 50 again at the end of the month, to give time for an election or even a second referendum.
The EU will in the coming days discuss how long they want an extension to be.
Boris has insisted he will obey the law, but has refused to confirm in public that he will write a letter asking for another delay as the Benn Act will command.
If the PM doesn’t get a deal by 19 Oct, he will write the letter, it was confirmed in court documents last week.
This morning a Scottish court decided to wait until after that date to decide whether it can order Boris to write it.
But anti-Brexit campaigners think Boris has a plan up his sleeve to escape a delay.
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The EU’s Michel Barnier will meet with Brexit Secretary Steven Barclay tomorrow as both sides say the chances of a deal are looking slim.
Talks are on the verge of collapse after a huge row broke out yesterday between Britain and the EU.
A No10 source briefed out details of Angela Merkel’s call with the PM, and insisted that the chances of a deal are now over.
They said that the EU wanted to keep Northern Ireland in their customs rules permanently.
EU boss Donald Tusk accused Boris of playing a “stupid” blame game and trying to pin responsibility for No Deal onto the bloc.
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