Boris Johnson has launched an unprecedented attack on the prime minister’s preferred option for a post-Brexit EU customs partnership, calling the proposed system crazy and saying it would not give Britain control of trade policy. On a visit to Washington, the foreign secretary said a customs partnership, one of two options considered by the cabinet’s Brexit subcommittee, would be unacceptable. Q&A What is a customs union and why does it matter? The method would solve the problem of the Irish border, but Brexiters regard it as untested and impractical, opening the door to remaining in a customs union with Brussels. Downing Street has insisted both options remain on the table, though Brexiters have privately described the customs partnership as a “dead parrot” after their forceful objections at last week’s meeting.

Source: The Guardian May 08, 2018 07:10 UTC