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'It's not just up to us': Boris Johnson claims 'abundant technical fixes' could help fix Irish border issue

Boris Johnson has been defending his Brexit plans this evening… but not discussing his private life.

LAST UPDATE | 24 Jun 2019

CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP HOPEFUL Boris Johnson has said it’s “not just up to the UK” when it comes to finding a solution to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland after Brexit.

He said that when it comes to resolving the border issue “it’s up to the other side as well” and that he would work with the EU to reach a solution that suited all parties.

Speaking to the BBC in an interview published this evening, one of the two contenders to be Britain’s next prime minister said that there were “abundant technical fixes” that could be made that would prevent checks at the Irish border if the UK was to crash out of the EU without a deal on 31 October.

Johnson also claimed that he does “not believe for a moment” that the UK will leave without a deal, but said he would be willing to do if prime minister.

When interviewer Laura Kuenssberg put it to Johnson these so-called technical fixes don’t yet exist, Johnson said: “Well, they do actually, in very large measure they do. You have trusted trader schemes, all sorts of schemes that you could put in to place.”

He later admitted that there’s no “single magic bullet” to resolve the border issue but claimed that there was now “positive energy about getting it done”. 

Johnson said that since the original Brexit date of 29 March has come and gone with the UK still in the EU, there was now a “different understanding of what is needed” from both sides of the English channel. 

The former London Mayor also said that both the Conservatives and Labour would face “mortal retribution” at polling time, if Brexit was not delivered. 

‘Obviously staged’

boris The photograph given to UK media yesterday.

A number of MPs, meanwhile, have described a photo of Johnson and his girlfriend as being “obviously staged” after it appeared in a newspaper this morning.

The image which shows Johnson with his girlfriend Carrie Symonds in Sussex appeared on the front the Daily Mail today. 

Johnson has been under increasing pressure to answer questions about police being called to the home he shares with his partner after neighbours reportedly heard a domestic row. 

Labour MP Jo Stevens told the Mirror that the photo was “obviously staged” and made Johnson look “even more shifty”.

Speaking to the BBC this evening, Johnson said he wouldn’t be discussing the alleged row because it was “”simply unfair” to involve “loved ones” in such a public debate as he seeks to become prime minister. 

He said: “I do not talk about stuff involving my family, my loved ones.

And there’s a very good reason for that. That is that, if you do, you drag them into things that really is, in a way that is not fair on them.

Sky debate

Earlier today, Sky News announced it had postponed a planned Conservative leadership debate scheduled for tomorrow because Johnson declined to take part. 

Johnson’s leadership rival Jeremy Hunt had agreed to take part in tomorrow’s debate but the broadcaster says it will reschedule it for next week and invite both contenders again.

“Sky News has been planning to hold a debate between the remaining candidates in the leadership election. Jeremy Hunt has agreed to take part but Boris Johnson has so far declined the invitation,” the station said in a statement.

We stand ready to host a debate tomorrow if both candidates make themselves available. Without both candidates, tomorrow’s debate will not take place but we will reissue our invitation for Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson to debate on Sky News next Monday instead. 

The postponement of the debate comes as Hunt has increased his attacks on Johnson for failing to make himself available to the media during the leadership contest.

In an article he wrote for The Times newspaper, Hunt labelled Johnson “a coward” for his refusal to take part in TV debates. 

Hunt, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, said he was “not interested” in debating Johnson’s private life. 

On Saturday, Johnson ignored questions put to him about the incident but other MPs are among those who have urged him to address the matter. 

Writing today, Hunt urged Johnson to be more open to questions before Conservative members start postal voting during the second week of July

“I am not interested in debating Boris’s private life. But I do want to quiz him on how he can “guarantee” we will leave the EU on 31 October if parliament votes to stop a no-deal Brexit, as it did in March,” Hunt wrote in The Times. 

“Boris has done just one interview on Today in the past year. I have done 16. He has not appeared on The Andrew Marr Show this year and his one broadcast interview of this campaign, with World at One, was arranged with just ten minutes’ notice so Mark Mardell had no time to prepare questions. And now he is refusing point blank to do TV debates.”

Pathetically, within hours of getting through to the final two he “challenged” me to the ITV debate. I willingly accepted even though it was scheduled for three weeks later, after most members have received their postal votes and after many of them will have voted.

Hunt writes that any new prime minister needs the legitimacy of having their arguments “subjected to scrutiny”.

“Only then can you walk through the front door of No 10 with your head held high instead of slinking through the back door, which is what Boris appears to want,” Hunt says.

“The first debate that Boris has been invited to will be on Sky News tomorrow evening. I’ll be there. So don’t be a coward Boris, man up and show the nation you can cope with the intense scrutiny the most difficult job in the country will involve.”

Speaking on Sky News this morning, Hunt had encouraged Sky News to “empty chair” Johnson during tomorrow’s debate but the broadcaster instead decided to postpone it.

Hunt also defended his stance of not demanding answers from Johnson over the police call to his home. 

“It would be the easy hit to criticise that, it would be the wrong hit,” Hunt said. “Because we need to have a national debate about how we solve the Brexit crisis, how we deliver that democratic mandate.”

“The people of this country want a prime minister who’s prepared to give a straight answer to a straight questions as to how he will deal with the Brexit crisis we’re in.” 

With reporting from Garreth MacNamee, Seán Murray

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114 Comments
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    Mute Mary Mc Carthy
    Favourite Mary Mc Carthy
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    Jan 16th 2014, 7:38 AM

    Poor man and his family waiting at home for him.

    223
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    Mute Karl Aisbitt
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    Jan 16th 2014, 8:23 AM

    What’s the difference between them holding him and the Americans holding Afghanistan soldiers in Guantanamo bay ? Both get badly treated but because the USA is seen to be more of a civilised country they get away with it..

    126
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    Mute Cillian Fleming
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    Jan 16th 2014, 9:34 AM

    I think one difference, unlike in Guantanamo Bay, is that he faces the daily possibility of having his head cut off.

    95
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    Mute Aaron
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    Jan 16th 2014, 10:15 AM

    I’d rather my head cut off and it be done with instead of torture everyday at Gitmo

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    Mute Conor Stagg
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    Jan 16th 2014, 10:16 AM

    Id rather have my head cut off! than spend half my life, or even a short part of it, in guantanamo!

    29
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    Mute Conor Stagg
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    Jan 16th 2014, 10:17 AM

    Sorry Aaron either we posted that at the same time or else I didn’t c ur post ha ha

    11
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    Mute margaret
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    Jan 16th 2014, 10:35 AM

    So, you would rather have your head sawn halal style over being in an American POW camp with your Koran. Don’t talk stupid! You no more believe that than ido.

    47
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    Mute The Polar Bear
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    Jan 16th 2014, 10:42 AM

    Gitmo isn’t for POW’s. US doesn’t class them as POWs. They are enemy combatants/unlawful combatants according to US and Geneva Conventions do not apply.

    32
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    Mute margaret
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    Jan 16th 2014, 10:56 AM

    And proper order. The rules of engagement don’t apply to jihadists so neither should the Geneva convention. You can bet your life the Geneva convention doesn’t apply to that poor American soldier. Can’t imagine the conditions those Taliban animals have imposed on him.

    44
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    Mute Benson Hallahan
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    Jan 16th 2014, 11:20 AM

    How do you know that they are jihadists? They haven’t been given a trial.

    24
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    Mute Aaron
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    Jan 16th 2014, 11:28 AM

    and what about the conditions in Gitmo Margaret, is it fair they get tortured everyday in Gitmo but not fair on the American soldier?

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    Mute margaret
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    Jan 16th 2014, 11:46 AM

    The don’t get “tortured” in Gitmo everyday. And it’s strange how many innocent “tourists” the Americans picked up in Afghanistan. All doing their gap year no doubt.

    26
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    Mute Mick
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    Jan 16th 2014, 11:49 AM

    Gitmo?

    What about Abu Ghraib? It was run by people with the same attitude as margaret.

    Makes me sick to hear people defending the treatment of prisoners who would be living normal lives if it wasn’t for an unjust invasion by the United Snakes.

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    Mute Rick
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    Jan 16th 2014, 11:50 AM

    Before you start referencing the Geneva Convention please check out this link.

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-atrocities-and-war-crimes-cover-ups-in-afghanistan/5358140

    It seems the Geneva Convention doesn’t apply to the U.S.

    No Gun Ri Massacre in Korea.
    Mai La in Vietnam.

    The U.S. do not recognise the ICC when it comes to the Geneva Convention, they prosecute their own forces as they see fit. You get more jail time in America for breaching their security than killing innocent civilians in a war zone.

    When the conflict is eventually over I pray that that soldier is returned safely to his family.

    16
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    Mute Aaron
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    Jan 16th 2014, 11:54 AM

    You still didn’t answer the question Margaret, cause you cant, you know what the Americans do is wrong but wont admit it, the worlds biggest bully going up against the small countries with oil, using any excuse possible to go in and invade and then killing innocent men, women and children.

    13
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    Mute margaret
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    Jan 16th 2014, 12:17 PM

    @Aaron. There is no oil in Afghanistan. But plenty jihadists who would gladlysaw your head off if it furthered their aims. Your misplaced sympathy would do you no good. All humanity has been bred out if these butchers.
    Which question did I not answer?

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    Mute Mick
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    Jan 16th 2014, 12:21 PM

    Google Afganistan before the war.

    Nothing was “bred” out of them you ignorant fool – it was bombed out of them

    17
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    Mute margaret
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    Jan 16th 2014, 12:29 PM

    Before the war as you put it the Taliban harboured bombers and cutthroats. Bombers and cutthroats bring it on themselves, calling people ignorant fool is straw grasping at it’s most desperate. Your points shouldn’t need that kind of embellishment.

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    Mute Aaron
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    Jan 16th 2014, 1:03 PM

    Jesus Margaret you haven’t a clue, you never answered if it was fair that the Americans tortured prisoners everyday in Gitmo? All you said was it doesn’t happen everyday! Sleep deprivation happens everyday to the prisoners, then tortured by water boarding and so on but its ok to you cause its the Americans doing it. They also extract 1.5 million barrels of oil per year in Afghanistan

    15
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    Mute Stabber mac nugget
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    Jan 16th 2014, 7:55 AM

    How many people are the yanks holding at the moment

    93
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    Mute Roland 303
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    Jan 16th 2014, 8:19 AM

    2 wrongs……….

    61
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    Mute Some Feen
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    Jan 16th 2014, 8:29 AM

    Try 500 wrongs, which is around how many were held in Guantanamo the release without charge… Buncha goat farmers

    42
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    Mute Liam Byrne
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    Jan 16th 2014, 7:29 AM

    What do they hope to achieve by holding onto him. There’s no benefit to their cause by keeping him captive, except maybe to satisfy their own sadistic desires.

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    Mute Recalcitrant Banker
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    Jan 16th 2014, 8:11 AM

    You’ve obviously haven’t heard of Guantanamo bay then. The USA are doing the same thing on a far more industrial scale.

    115
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    Mute Liam Byrne
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    Jan 16th 2014, 8:17 AM

    I’m not excusing the US, I can assure you. This soldier has been held captive for nearly 5 years. What info could they possibly hope to garner from him.

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    Mute Edward Malone
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    Jan 16th 2014, 8:52 AM

    I suspect they no doubt want to exchange him and the reason the deal wasn’t ‘clinched’ is largely because of the US

    36
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    Mute margaret
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    Jan 16th 2014, 7:59 AM

    Hopefully this video is part of some movement that’s going in behind the scenes and he will be released soon.

    66
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    Mute Liam Byrne
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    Jan 16th 2014, 8:24 AM

    He has spent more time in captivity than he has spent in active service. Keeping him is serving no purpose.

    51
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    Mute Daniel Lydon
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    Jan 16th 2014, 9:59 AM

    I can only hope AMERICA get this poor fella home safe and get revenge for this terrible act

    24
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    Mute Seamus O'Conner
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    Jan 16th 2014, 8:21 AM

    Afghanistan’s guatanamo Bay. Justice has been served.

    19
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    Mute Eric Edert
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    Jan 16th 2014, 8:48 AM

    You’re blaming one guy for all of that?

    51
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    Mute Kieran Casey
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    Jan 16th 2014, 1:00 PM

    Stay the fcuk at home mind your own business,look after your own family and this shit wont happen to you..

    18
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    Mute Andrew Fitzsimons
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    Jan 16th 2014, 1:59 PM

    Absolutely right!

    5
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    Mute Thrillhouse
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    Jan 16th 2014, 7:08 PM

    Ironically, that is exactly what most people in Afghanistan were doing. Staying home minding their own business until one day the worlds only superpower decided to bomb the f#ck out of them because a bunch of saudi arabians somehow knocked down 3 skyscrapers with 2 planes in New York.

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    Mute Eric Edert
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    Jan 16th 2014, 8:40 AM

    Homeland comes to mind here……Hmmmmmm, could be interesting

    18
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    Mute Lad
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    Jan 16th 2014, 10:13 AM

    I think you’ve been watching to much tv lad…

    23
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    Mute The Polar Bear
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    Jan 16th 2014, 10:43 AM

    He dies in the end.

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    Mute margaret
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    Jan 16th 2014, 10:57 AM

    Yes he does. In typical barbaric Islamist fashion

    13
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    Mute Jurgen Remak
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    Jan 16th 2014, 11:53 AM

    I hope this soldier gets released soon. 5 years with those guys must be absolute hell.

    16
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    Mute Elaine Cassin
    Favourite Elaine Cassin
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    Jan 16th 2014, 9:53 AM

    Sounds like they just left him there!!!

    6
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