‘Irresponsible’ Brexit leaders left citizens without a plan – Vella

Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella has lambasted the “irresponsible” Brexit campaign leaders after former London mayor Boris Johnson ruled himself out of the Conservative leadership battle whilst Nigel Farage resigned as Ukip leader.

Addressing a ‘government that listens’ session focusing on the work of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Vella said the people who should now be leading the country out of the European Union have now called it quits, leaving citizens without a plan.

“They have disappeared and no one knows what’s going to happen,” Vella said, as questions remain until the UK triggers Article 50.

As the minister was speaking, Home Secretary Theresa May surged ahead in the contest to decide who will become the UK’s next prime minister; Liam Fox was eliminated rom the Tory leadership race.

Andrea Leadsom won more support than Michael Gove, with 66 votes to 48 whilst Stephen Crabb followed with 34, British media reported.

David Cameron, who campaigned in favour of the Remain, stepped down following the seismic result that saw British citizens voting against remaining in the EU. Cameron argued that he would not be the right person to negotiate the UK’s exit out of the EU.

“They are irresponsible because I’m going to push a movement, I should know what I want from it and to lead it there,” Vella said of Farage and Johnson. “I would have expected to at least have a proper plan for Brexit … citizens who were looking for a leader have ended without one.”

European leaders appear to have softened their stance with the UK, whose initial reaction was to call on the EU’s second biggest economy to trigger Article 50 as soon as possible.

Vella added that Malta’s relationship does not end once, and if, the UK exits the EU, noting that different bilateral agreements existed.

On Malta’s rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, Vella reiterated that Malta’s preferred option was for Estonia – who would have succeeded the United Kingdom after Malta – to step in six months earlier. However, Malta was also ready to extend its six-month presidency by a further three months, thus sharing the UK’s slot with Malta.

The government has argued that giving Malta a full 12 months would be stretching its resources to the limit.

Questioned over Libya, Vella said the situation remained a complicated one, heightened by the strong presence of Isis. Vella added that the situation in Libya will be discussed in the coming days with UN special envoy Maritn Kobler.