Johnson said that it would seem odd if British citizens ended up voting in European Parliament elections in May, 2019, indicating that he thought the government should trigger the two-year leaving process by May 2017.
"If you think about it there are obviously Euro elections coming down the track. I think people will be wondering whether we want to send a fresh batch of UK Euro MPs to an institution which we are, after all, going to be leaving," he told the BBC.
Boris Johnson says Article 50 needs to be triggered before euro elections next May @MarrShow
— norman smith (@BBCNormanS) September 25, 2016
Johnson's call came after he made similar remarks last week, telling Sky News: "We are talking to our European friends and partners in the expectation that by the early part of next year we will see an Article 50 letter."
The triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty and the timing of such an event has been an issue of significant tension within the government, with prime minister May repeatedly saying she would not set a date on the matter.
What Johnson is saying is vacuous. He appears to have no idea about anything beyond the internal Tory politics of article 50 timing. #Marr
— Carl Gardner (@carlgardner) September 25, 2016
"The Government's position is clear. The prime minister has said she will not trigger Article 50 before the end of the year. Ultimately it's her decision," a government spokesperson said in a public slapdown of Johnson's comments.
"She has said she will deliver on the Brexit vote and she won't kick it into the long grass, but she will do it when she considers she can secure the best deal for Britain."
May Under Pressure
The issue of Brexit and what approach to take has seen increasing tension within the UK government in recent times, with May under pressure from various parts of her party.
While former Chancellor George Osborne said the UK shouldn't formally trigger Article 50 until after national elections in France and Germany are completed next year, other pro-Brexit figures have been increasingly keen to trigger the negotiation process.
The Tories are about to tear themselves apart re Brexit. 'Poundland Maggie' May is doomed already. pic.twitter.com/EkpcN9hyPp
— andysearson (@andysearson) September 25, 2016
The issue of what post-Brexit deal the UK will search for is also a matter of huge debate, with the British government not yet outlining what particular approach it would like to take.
With May ambiguously saying that "Brexit means Brexit," some government figures fear that the UK will be locked out of the European single market, which many argue will be disastrous for many business sectors, including London's finance industry.
Boris, May, Hunt, Davis… Four people in the same Party, some with years dedicated to wanting Brexit… All having no idea what to do next.
— Futile Democracy (@Futiledemocracy) September 25, 2016
Meanwhile other government figures have argued that the UK needs to honor the result of the June 23 referendum and push for greater immigration controls.
This has been labeled by some as a "hard Brexit" amid fears it could have a detrimental impact to the British economy.
