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Boris Johnson says ‘it’s not too late to save Brexit’ as he savages PM’s ‘miserable’ plan

Johnson today spoke in the House of Commons for the first time since dramatically resigning from the..

Johnson today spoke in the House of Commons for the first time since dramatically resigning from the cabinet as Remain and Leave factions of his party rip themselves apart over the direction of Brexit.

The Tory MP quit as foreign secretary last week in protest of Mrs May's "soft Brexit" plan, which he claimed would reduce Britain to "the status of a colony" and kill the Brexit "dream".

His comments in the Commons were no less brutal, lambasting the Prime Minister for taking a "dithered" approach to negotiations with the EU.

He dismissed the plan agreed by senior cabinet members at the PMs Chequers residence as “Brexit in name only” and scolded the “fog of self-doubt” encircling her government.

Mr Johnson said: “It is not too late to save Brexit. We have time in these negotiations. We have changed tack once and we can change again.”

boris johnson resignation speech

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EXPLOSIVE: Boris Johnson lambasted Theresa May for her 'dithered' approach to Brexit

His savage appraisal of the PM may rally Brexiteers behind his vision for taking Britain out of the EU, prompting him to challenge Mrs May for Downing Street.

Mrs Mays vision for Brexit, Mr Johnson argued, would leave Britain “in limbo”, unable to change rules in "lock step" with the EU.

He bemoaned how Mrs May hasnt “even tried” to bring the “glorious vision” of a global Britain laid out by her in her Lancaster House speech to fruition.

Mr Johnson continued: "We never actually turned that vision into a negotiating position in Brussels and we never made it into a negotiating offer.
"Instead we dithered and we burned through our negotiating capital.
"We agreed to hand over a £40billion exit fee with no discussion of our future economic relationship."

boris johnson
SKY NEWS

BRUTAL: Boris Johnson told MPs that 'it is not too late to save Brexit'

Meanwhile, the PM was grilled over Brexit and other issues by a select committee made up of 30 senior MPs from all major political parties parties.

During the session of the Liaison Committee, Mrs May batted away suggestions that Britain was heading for a “no-deal Brexit”, telling MPs: “I dont believe that is the case.”

The PM will be forced to endure yet another showdown with Tory backbenchers over Brexit at a meeting of the 1922 Committee tonight before the summer recess.

Her premiership still hangs in the balance as backbench Tory MPs could force a no confidence vote in Mrs May if they 48 letters are presented to the chairman.

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SKY NEWS

GRILLED: Theresa May faced questions from MPs at a select committee

“It is not too late to save Brexit.”

Boris Johnson

In what could be interpreted as an attempt to tempt fate, Mr Johnson delivered his speech from the same place in the Commons where Sir Geoffrey Howe made the most famous resignation speech in British political history.

In 18 minutes on November 13 1990 he stunned MPs with a speech so damning that it set off a series of dramatic events which were to oust Margaret Thatcher from 10 Downing Street.

It remains to be seen whether Johnson, whose ambitions for leadership have been played down by sources close to him, triggers a similar situation with his speech.

Nevertheless, Mr Johnsons words will send shockwaves through Westminster, giving Mrs May food for thought as she clings to power before the summer break.

Odds on next Prime Minister REVEALED

Who will be the next Prime Minister if Theresa May loses a confidence vote?

British Prime Minister Theresa May to leave post this year - 1/2
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British Prime Minister Theresa May to leave post this year – 1/2

Mr Johnson said he could neither support nor accept the Brexit vision which he and other Cabinet members signed up to at Chequers.

"Let us again aim explicitly for that glorious vision of Lancaster House – a strong, independent self-governing Britain that is genuinely open to the world, not the miserable permanent limbo of Chequers," said Mr Johnson.

"Not the democratic disaster of ongoing harmonisation with no way out and no say for the UK.

"We need to take one decision now before all others and that is to believe in this country and what it can do."

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GETTY

IN LIMBO: Johnson attacked Mrs May over her 'dithered' plan for Brexit

Mr Johnson warned that under Mrs May's proposals, the UK was "volunteering for economic vassalage"
Britain should be "great independent actors" on the world stage, not "rule takers", he added.
"That was the vision of Brexit that we fought for," he said. "That was the vision that the Prime Minister rightly described last year.
"That is the prize that is still attainable. There is time. And, if the Prime Minister can fix that vision once again before us, then I believe she can deliver a great Brexit for Britain with a positive, self-confident approach that will unite this party, unite this House and unite this country as well."

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