Thread by @tconnellyRTE

Did @BorisJohnson give himself a ladder to climb down when responding to @hilarybennmp's question if he believes the EU is acting in bad faith?

Johnson replies: "It is always possible that I am mistaken [that the EU is acting in bad faith].

2/ "Perhaps they will prove my suspicions wrong, and perhaps they will agree in the Joint Committee to withdraw some of the extreme suggestions that I've heard and all will be well.

3/ "But until such time I prefer to have protections guarantee the integrity of this country and protect against the potential rupture of the United Kingdom..."

4/ Note that the Working Paper circulated by the European Commission to member states today (see earlier thread) states: "Michel Barnier clearly stated that the EU is *not* refusing to list the UK as a third country for
food imports."

5/ The Commission and Member states have believed the hold up over the "listing of the UK" for food imports provided Johnson with what was described as an "insane" smokescreen to retroactively justify the Internal Market Bill, which breaches the Protocol

6/ If the Commission spells out in the Joint Committee that it is not threatening, a food blockade of NI, and never has, will that permit a de-escalation?

7/ The Joint Committee was due to meet on September 25, although there is a belief that will have to be postponed until the EU's deadline for the offending elements of the Internal Mkt Bill be withdrawn (ie, end of September)