Boris Johnson scrambles for Brexiteer vote support after fishing fury - leaked WhatsApp
BORIS Johnson has moved to shore up support for his post-Brexit trade deal among his own backbenchers with a message shared with them on WhatsApp.
Brexit: Johnson clashes with Peston on details of deal
The Prime Minister - who has also tweeted a video in which he extols the virtues of his agreement - has chosen to take action with the document being scrutinised in minute detail by members of the eurosceptic European Research Group (ERG). In his message, Mr Johnson said: "I truly believe this is the right deal for the UK and the EU.
"We have delivered on every one of our manifesto commitments: control of money, borders laws, fish and all the rest.
"But even more important, I believe we now have a basis for long-term friendship and partnership with the EU as sovereign equals."
The ERG's deputy chairman, David Jones, said prior to the agreement being struck that his caucus would be reconvening the so-called Star Chamber of lawyers - of which he is one - to go through the 1,256-page deal line-by-line.
I am sure this can survive the most ruthless and Talmudic scrutiny from the star chamber legal eagles
Mr Johnson added: "I know the devil is in the detail but I am sure this can survive the most ruthless and Talmudic scrutiny from the star chamber legal eagles.
"We must remember that what the public want us to do is focus above all on defeating COVID-19 and rebuilding our economy and I am glad that at least one uncertainty is now out of the way."
The PM has already won the public support of numerous Tory MPs.
JUST IN: Sorry, Macron! UK to outstrip EU rivals says new report
Daniel Kawczynski, Tory MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, told Express.co.uk on Thursday: "I think PM and his team have played a blinder.
"They have outflanked the EU and I am very proud of the British team.
"The removal of the ECJ is critical and the Prime Minister has done very well on that."
DON'T MISS
Lord Frost's staggering confession on Brexit deal's timescale exposed [INSIGHT]
Boris Johnson's adviser urges to create free zone in Dover and Calais [EXCLUSIVE]
EU wanted to force 'EVERY member state to adopt euro by 2025' [ANALYSIS]
Referring to the scheduled vote on December 30, he added: "I believe the deal will be easily ratified before December 31. Even Nigel Farage is not complaining about it!"
Robert Halfon, Tory MP for Harlow in Essex, said: "Boris has pulled out some magic rabbits out of the Brexit hat, that's for sure.
"It's an incredible achievement to get both Michel Barnier and Nigel Farage backing this deal."
John Penrose, Tory MP for Weston-super-Mare told Express.co.uk: "Zero tariffs and zero quotas are the two big truths about this deal.
"Everything else is secondary for British jobs & exports.
"It's a victory for democracy, four years after the referendum was held."
Also speaking on Thursday, Mark Littlewood, director general of the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) suggested the ERG had the capacity to make life difficult for Mr Johnson if they were unhappy with what was contained in the agreement.
He told Express.co.uk: "I'm sure the ERG will want assurances on how independent the arbitration of any disputes will really be and to be confident that we have not substituted the European Court of Justice with some opaque, complex and bureaucratic monstrosity.
"The area in which we need to watch things like hawks is the resolution procedure for divergence in regulations - what the EU calls the 'level playing field'.
"This must not become a basis for the UK being punished if it adopts smarter, lighter, wiser rules."
Even though Parliament is set to vote before the end of the year, the European Parliament will not have a chance to have their say before 2022, with the deal set to be signed off by the leaders of the EU27.