Boris Johnson's threat to MPs and the EU: 'Back me or sack me'

In setting the scene for Boris Johnson’s first and potentially historic speech as Prime Minister to Tory party conference, Downing Street made two statements that sounded a lot like threats, both to EU leaders and to opposition MPs.

In tearing up the 2107 Joint Report that underlies the so-called backstop to keep open the border on the island of Ireland – that foundation of the Brexit deal agreed by Theresa May and ditched by Johnson – Downing Street said “officials have made it clear that if Brussels does not engage with the offer…then this government will not negotiate further until we have left the EU”.

In other words, Johnson wants to know pronto whether the EU is prepared to ditch two of its reddest lines – both that it would allow infrastructure for customs checks somewhere on the island of Ireland, though away from the border (contrary to the Joint Report) and that any bridging arrangements (or backstop) to keep open the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic pending long-term solutions do not include the risk of permanent membership of the customs union.