Image:Boris Johnson holds his first Cabinet meeting at Downing Street
Boris Johnson has told MPs "today is the first day of a new
approach" towards Brexit in his first appearance in the House of Commons
as prime minister.
The new Conservative Party leader repeated his
"absolute commitment" to the UK leaving the EU on 31 October, saying he
would push ahead with Brexit on Halloween "whatever the circumstances".
The prime minister told MPs that failing to abide by the latest
Brexit deadline would see a "catastrophic loss of confidence" among the
public.
"It will leave the British people wondering whether their
politicians could ever be trusted again to follow a clear democratic
instruction," he said.
PM and Corbyn clash over backstop
Commenting on his new government's preparations for a no-deal Brexit -
to be overseen by his former Vote Leave colleague Michael Gove - Mr
Johnson said they would be "about grasping the opportunities" for
Britain's future and "not just about technical preparations".
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Raising the prospect of a no-deal Brexit budget, the prime minister
said his government will "prepare an economic package to boost British
business".
He said the UK was "better prepared" for a no-deal Brexit "than many believe".
In a bid to demonstrate his seriousness to the UK leaving the EU in
less than 100 days, Mr Johnson announced the UK would not nominate a new
EU commissioner.
The bloc is due to change its top-level officials on 1 November.
Mr
Johnson said: "Our national participation in the European Union is
coming to an end. This reality needs to be recognised by all parties."
The prime minister repeated that he would "much prefer" to leave the
EU with a deal, saying it was "still possible even at this late stage"
and that he will "work flat out to make it happen".
But he
declared the current withdrawal agreement - drafted by his predecessor
Theresa May - is "unacceptable to this parliament and this country".
He said any new deal must see the "abolition" of the controversial Irish backstop arrangement.
The
prime minister claimed "other arrangements are perfectly possible" in
ensuring no hard border on the island of Ireland, even with the UK
outside the EU's customs union and single market.
Mr Johnson also confirmed his plans to introduce legislation to enshrine the rights of EU citizens in legislation.
He
told MPs his government would "absolute certainty of the right to live
and remain" but offered little further detail in his Commons statement.
It
has been suggested the prime minister's aides see an offer on EU
citizens' rights as the way to prise open the existing withdrawal
agreement, which the EU has consistently said is not up for
renegotiation.
Mr Johnson expressed his hope the bloc will "rethink their current refusal" to alterations to the existing Brexit deal.
Ending his address, the prime minister claimed today would mark "the beginning of a new golden age" for the UK.
In
response, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told Mr Johnson: "No-one
underestimates this country but the country is deeply worried that the
new prime minister overestimates himself."
He added: "People do
not trust this prime minister to make the right choices for the majority
of the people in this country when he's also promising tax giveaways to
the richest of big business - his own party's funders."
Referring
to Mr Johnson's sweeping changes to the top level of government, Mr
Corbyn accused the new prime minister of having "hastily thrown together
a hard-right cabinet".
He also told Mr Johnson that Labour would
campaign to stay in the EU if the government proposed a Brexit deal that
"fails to protect jobs, workers' rights or environmental protections."
Mr
Corbyn also claimed Mr Johnson will "effectively make us a vassal state
of [Donald] Trump's America" under a trade deal with the US.
Labour accused Mr Johnson of ignoring 10 specific questions in his exchanges with Mr Corbyn.
Earlier, Labour dismissed a Liberal Democrat effort to pressure Mr
Corbyn into tabling an immediate motion of no confidence in Mr Johnson.
A
Labour spokesman said: "A no confidence vote now will only strengthen
Boris Johnson's hand and further his march towards no deal."
The
SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford welcomed Mr Johnson as the "last
prime minister of the UK" as he challenged him to call a general
election.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh First
Minister Mark Drakeford wrote to Mr Johnson on Thursday asking him to
immediately rule out a no-deal Brexit.
Meanwhile, former Tory
leader Iain Duncan Smith, who was Mr Johnson's leadership campaign
manager, praised the prime minister's Commons address.
"Today I
think the EU will have listened and realised that the days of
supplication are over and we are intent on a policy to leave," he said.
Behind the scenes: PM's first cabinet
Conservative MP Alberto Costa - who has long campaigned on the issue
of EU citizens' rights - commended the prime minister's proposal to
enshrine those protections in law, which was discussed at a cabinet
meeting on Thursday morning.
Mrs May, who was seen enjoying the
cricket at Lord's on Thursday with some of her former ministers, had
made a similar pledge to protect the rights of EU citizens in the UK in
any Brexit outcome.
But Mr Costa told Sky News: "The difference is this: The previous administration said they would do that, but haven't.
"The
'settled status' scheme that we have has not been enshrined in law, and
unless it's enshrined in law... we cannot protect British nationals in
the EU in the event of no-deal.
"If we protect EU nationals here
in the event of no deal, as the prime minister has promised to do by
passing law, then member states have said they will pass reciprocal laws
protecting the rights of British nationals in the EU in the event of no
deal.
"Now that's good news."
Leader of the House of
Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg had earlier signalled the new government will
ignore "mere motions" passed by MPs aimed at stopping a no-deal Brexit.
He
said: "I have perhaps a somewhat romantic view of the House of
Commons... about how it is our job to hold the government to account,
not simply to facilitate whatever the government wants to do.
"However, this House passed into law the [EU] withdrawal act and the Article 50 act.
"We
only speak our view by legislation, we do not speak our view by mere
motion and mere motion cannot and must not overturn statute law.
"Because
if that were to happen we would not have a proper functioning
representative democracy, we would have an erratic, changeable and
irregular system of government."
PM and Corbyn clash over backstop
Behind the scenes: PM's first cabinet