Boost for Boris Johnson as 'Spartans' signal they are ready to back Brexit deal
2 min read
Tory Brexiteers have signalled that they are ready to drop some of their key objections to a deal with the EU which could see the UK leave the bloc on 31 October.
In a major boost for Boris Johnson, key figures in the so-called "Spartans" wing of the Conservative Party say they are willing to vote for a fresh Withdrawal Agreement if the the Prime Minister is able to bring one back from Brussels.
Previously, members of the hardline European Research Group had insisted that they would not back a new deal even if Mr Johnson managed to secure the removal of the Irish backstop.
Speaking in August, leading eurosceptic Mark Francois said: "I don’t think you could revive the withdrawal agreement realistically. Even if you took the backstop out, there are too many other things that are wrong with it."
But in an interview with PoliticsHome at the Tory conference in Manchester, Mr Francois indicated that he had softened his stance.
He said: "Well, we have to look at [a new deal] in the round. [The backstop] was always the worst bit of the withdrawal agreement. There are other bits that I and my colleagues in the ERG don’t like either, but the backstop’s always been the worst of it.
"I’ve been asked loads of time in media interviews ‘will you vote for it?’. The only honest answer I can give is it depends what it says."
Fellow eurosceptic Andrew Rosindell said that with no alternative deal on the table, he and his colleagues may have to vote for whatever agreement Mr Johnson secures.
He said: "It’s no longer a question of ‘we could do better, we’ve reached the end of the road."
The Romford MP added: "Boris will be in a much better position than Theresa was six months ago. It’s much more likely that we would vote for it, if it’s an improved deal."
Boris Johnson will submit his final Brexit proposals to the EU after his speech to the Tory conference on Wednesday.
It has been reported that the UK will suggest setting up customs checks on either side of the Irish border, up to 10 miles away from the frontier, as an alternative to the backstop.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "Nothing we are proposing involves checks or controls at the border. That is an absolute commitment."
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