Boris Johnson Supports Brexit Referendum Defying David Cameron
British PM David Cameron reaffirmed his conviction on a recent EU reform deal he got after a tense marathon negotiation with his European counterparts after facing a grilling inquiry from other MPs. He mentioned the risks involved should UK citizens finally decide on leaving the EU in the upcoming June referendum.
On the other side of the fence, another Tory stalwart and City of London mayor Boris Johnson questioned Cameron on how his deal would bring about the restoration of British sovereignty. He also commented that the PM was "making the best of a bad job" as quoted by BBC.
In his House of Commons speech, Cameron dismissed Johnson's proposal of getting Britons favor Brexit in order to extract juicier deals and more exemptions from Brussels.
"For a prime minister to ignore the express will of the British people to leave the EU would not just be wrong; it'd be undemocratic...I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings but I do not know of any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows," remarked Cameron as reported by The Guardian.
In the polarizing Commons debate, the PM also accused Johnson of playing the Brexit card in a veiled attempt to challenge Conservative Party leadership adding that as head of the government, he would not seek re-election. Even Johnson's dad and former MEP, Stanley Johnson, remarked that using Brexit as a way to get ahead in politics is a strategic and tactical career blunder.
"I cannot think of any more career-ending move than to do what he did yesterday, in the sense that he is leaving the mayoralty in May. If he wanted to get a nice job in the Cabinet on May 8, this is not the way to do it," said the elder Johnson as mentioned in a Telegraph report.
