Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson is not sure whether to endorse or oppose the new proposal announced by European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday.
While many conservative MPs – even those who supported Brexit – backed the new ‘Windsor Framework’, Johnson is said not to have made up his mind about whether to endorse or oppose it.
Previously, Johnson has urged Sunak not to drop his protocol bill, which drew a legal challenge from the EU, but the prime minister is facing EU pressure to do so.
A source close to Johnson says he is still reflecting, The Guardian reported, adding that the source did not deny that Johnson had urged the Democratic Unionist Party to think carefully before passing judgment on the deal. According to Conservative strategists, any rebellion that could come as a result of this may end up being small.
Additionally, most Conservative MPs have tried to not openly criticise the new proposal. MP Jacob Rees-Mogg told ITV that Sunak had achieved “more than I thought was possible” with this deal on Monday evening.
Some MPs were more vocal about being cautious. Eurosceptic Bill Cash said he will be reading the proposal carefully, adding that “the devil, as ever, lies in the detail,” BBC reported.
(Sofia Stuart Leeson | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
