Boris Johnson: Britain will be great and glorious outside the EU

By  Matthew Holehouse, Political Correspondent

Britain would have a “great and glorious future” if it left the EU, Boris Johnson has declared. 

The country has “nothing to fear” from life outside the European Union with a free-trading relationship with the continent if renegotiation fails to deliver significant reforms. 

David Cameron’s immigration target of “tens of thousands” of net migrants “made no sense” due to the EU’s open borders. Instead, London requires a rigorous American-style system that discriminates on talent, the Mayor of London said. 

Mr Johnson will tomorrow endorse a report by Gerard Lyons, his chief economic adviser, which has concluded that quitting the EU would be better for Britain than remaining on its current terms. 

While other senior Conservatives have said they would support a British exit if renegotiation fails, Mr Johnson’s remarks are the most enthusiastic yet about British prospects outside the bloc. 

David Cameron has pledged an in-out referendum on membership in 2017, and wants to repatriate a series of powers on justice and migration before the vote. He has said he will campaign to keep Britain in if his reforms are successful. 

Mr Johnson said: “I will be arguing there are all sorts of viable futures for this country and we don’t have to be afraid. 

“There is a great and glorious future for Britain in Europe if we can reform it. But there might also be a great and glorious future – and I’m sure there is a great and glorious future – for Britain as an open, outward looking economy that has great trading relations with Europe, but that starts to think about the rest of the world where you are seeing huge growth. 

“People should not be paranoid and scared about that option. There is a lot of apprehension.” 

Europe is stricken by a political and economic crisis of low growth at present, the Mayor said. 

“We need to be absolutely confident that we can argue for a deal that would be good for Europe, and if we fail to get that… then I think it follows that we have got to be prepared for a life outside, and a different kind of relationship. It might be a different relationship, but we have nothing to fear.” 

In comments that will increase pressure on the Prime Minister over immigration policy, Mr Johnson said voters were “totally fed up” with politicians’ promises to cap migration while overseeing a system that tells “Australian physiotherapists and New Zealand scientists” to “push off”, while leaving unrestricted access to Europeans. 

The Conservative manifesto pledged to cut net migration to below 100,000, a target Mr Cameron has consistently failed to meet. Mr Johnson said: “I think the Prime Minister was on the right track but it made no sense as long as you have a system which forbids you from controlling the numbers coming in from 28 countries.” 

Calling for a more stringent, merit-based system Mr Johnson said London is the “America of the European Union” because as a city of “massive opportunity. 

“In America they have very serious immigration controls. They say yes, you can come in, you can be American and make your life here – but you’ve got to pass this, this and this test before you can get a green card. I’ve got no particularly problem with that.” /Telegraph