Boris Johnson’s own father admits he is pondering voting for Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party at the next general election – despite his son’s pivotal role in “getting Brexit done”.
The former MEP and avowed Europhile made his incendiary remarks during an interview in which he said he was ready to support any party willing to take the UK back into the European Environment Agency.
Sir Keir has not yet committed to doing that, although a future Labour Government would be committed to matching EU chemical bans, according to shadow minister for chemicals Ruth Jones last year.
Mr Johnson Sr, asked by GB News’ Camila Tominey whether Sir Keir Starmer was “almost siding with him” on the issue of the EEA, said the MP for Holburn and St Pancras had “not said that, but he needs to do so”.
He stressed: “We need a coherent policy to rebuild bridges with the EU.
“It seems absolutely absurd to me, now we have come out, we must more and more separate ourselves out.
“I’m now in a bridge-building mode. I would vote for any political party now that would put the UK back in the European Environment Agency.”
After his appearance, Stanley Johnson issued a statement in which he said: “On the GBN Camilla Tominey show this morning, Stanley Johnson says he would vote for any political party, including Labour, which gives a clear commitment to take the UK back into the European Environment Agency, open to non-EU members, and puts environmental policy and the need to rebuild bridges with Europe at the heart of its manifesto for the next election.”
In January it was reported that Labour’s proposal to strike a deal with the bloc to ease post-Brexit checks would likely result in the acceptance of alignment with EU rules.
Speaking at an event hosted by the UK In a Changing Europe Serrano, the EU’s ambassador to the UK, said: “We’ve always been rather favourable to, or responded positively to the possibility of an SPS type of agreement, which we think may facilitate trade.
“Of course, an SPS agreement entails modalities that, well, let’s see whether the UK is interested in those modalities or not — because it would entail, probably, dynamic alignment, and things of this sort.”
Sir Keir has pledged to not permit the UK to become a “rule-taker” from Brussels.
Speaking in September he insisted there was “no case” for rejoining, emphasising “that includes the single market and customs union”.
He did however admit: “That does not mean that a Labour government wants to lower standards on food, wants to lower standards on people’s rights at work.
“The Labour Party has been completely consistent on those issues for many years – there is no surprise here.
“Incidentally, this is also government policy.”
