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Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal set to sail through British Parliament Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal set to sail through British Parliament
(about 2 hours later)
LONDON — With a boisterous majority of Conservative lawmakers hooting and hurrahing behind him, Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday was set to pass his Brexit deal, forging ahead with his promise that Britain will finally leave the European Union next month.LONDON — With a boisterous majority of Conservative lawmakers hooting and hurrahing behind him, Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday was set to pass his Brexit deal, forging ahead with his promise that Britain will finally leave the European Union next month.
Johnson’s pared-down, altered Withdrawal Agreement Bill would take the country out of the E.U. by the end of January, then begin a tight 11-month “transition period” to allow Britain and the E.U. to hammer out new trade, security, data, fishing and transport deals to shape their new relationship.Johnson’s pared-down, altered Withdrawal Agreement Bill would take the country out of the E.U. by the end of January, then begin a tight 11-month “transition period” to allow Britain and the E.U. to hammer out new trade, security, data, fishing and transport deals to shape their new relationship.
On Friday morning, Johnson was playing the Brexit cheerleader in a House of Commons now dominated by Conservatives, urging his new majority to hurry up and get the thing done by lunch. On Friday morning, Johnson was playing the Brexit cheerleader in a House of Commons now dominated by Conservatives, urging his new majority to hurry up and get the thing done.
Gone, it appears are the late nights, the cliff edges, the crunch votes that confronted Johnson’s predecessor as prime minister, Theresa May. Bucked by “remainers,” rebels and arch-Brexiteers in her own party, she had to face the ignominy of seeing her Brexit deal repeatedly voted down in Parliament. While campaigning, Johnson often boasted that the Brexit deal he secured with E.U headquarters in Brussels in October was “oven ready.”
On Friday, as the lawmakers prepared to vote, Johnson told them, “The oven is on. It is set at gas mark 4. We can have it done by lunch or late lunch.”
Gone, it appears, are the late-night crunch votes that confronted Johnson’s predecessor as prime minister, Theresa May. Bucked by “remainers,” rebels and arch-Brexiteers in her own party, she had to face the ignominy of seeing her Brexit deal repeatedly voted down in Parliament.
It is a remarkable turn that Johnson’s Brexit deal is approximately 95 percent his predecessor’s deal — with the exception that Johnson caved to European demands to find a way to protect at all cost a peace accord in Ireland.It is a remarkable turn that Johnson’s Brexit deal is approximately 95 percent his predecessor’s deal — with the exception that Johnson caved to European demands to find a way to protect at all cost a peace accord in Ireland.
Johnson did what May swore no British prime minister would do, which was to allow for a regulatory and customs border within the United Kingdom. In Johnson’s deal, that new border runs down the Irish Sea.Johnson did what May swore no British prime minister would do, which was to allow for a regulatory and customs border within the United Kingdom. In Johnson’s deal, that new border runs down the Irish Sea.
No matter. Johnson now has the votes, and he does not need to kowtow to his former governing partners in the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, who have complained that the prime minister tossed them under the bus and that this deal endangers the union. No matter. Johnson now has the votes, and he does not need to kowtow to his former governing partners in the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, who have complained the prime minister tossed them under the bus and that this deal endangers the union.
While campaigning for office, in an election he won by a landslide, Johnson often boasted that the Brexit deal he secured with E.U headquarters in Brussels in October was “oven ready.” There was grumbling — and marked distrust — from the opposition that Johnson’s government had deleted compromises that were in the bill before he won his whopping majority. The bill no longer has the same commitments on workers’ rights and environmental standards, or the guarantee that child migrants in Europe could reunite with family in Britain.
On Friday, as the lawmakers prepared to vote, Johnson told them, “The oven is on. It is set at gas mark 4. We can have it done by lunch or late lunch.” “I have just read the PM’s Brexit plan, and it has changed…. For the worse,” tweeted Lisa Nandy, a Labour lawmaker considered a possible contender for party leader.
There was grumbling — and marked distrust — from the opposition, that Johnson’s altered Brexit deal has been stripped of worker-protection clauses and that the new drop-dead deadline to secure a new free trade deal during the 11-month transition is unrealistically tight. The updated deal also sets what critics say is an unrealistically tight deadline to secure a new free trade deal.
Johnson answered that a tight deadline focused the mind and will only strengthen Britain’s bargaining position in Brussels. Johnson answered that a tight deadline would focus minds and strengthen Britain’s bargaining position in Brussels.
On his way to Parliament, Johnson tweeted that “the time has come for change,” accompanied by a video montage of one of his speeches set to stirring music and images from around Britain.
Opposition lawmakers have blasted the government for slimming down the bill, deleting the compromises that were there before Johnson won his whopping majority.
The outgoing opposition Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, called the deal “terrible” and said his side would not be backing it.The outgoing opposition Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, called the deal “terrible” and said his side would not be backing it.
“This deal is a road map for the reckless direction for which the government and prime minister are determined to take the country,” he said.“This deal is a road map for the reckless direction for which the government and prime minister are determined to take the country,” he said.
Corbyn charged that Johnson’s vision for Brexit would be “used as a battering ram to drive us down the path of yet more deregulation and towards a toxic deal with Donald Trump.”Corbyn charged that Johnson’s vision for Brexit would be “used as a battering ram to drive us down the path of yet more deregulation and towards a toxic deal with Donald Trump.”
But Corbyn does not matter so much anymore.But Corbyn does not matter so much anymore.
The deal that will pass later Friday no longer has the same commitments on workers’ rights and environmental standards, or the guarantee on child refugees that meant migrant children in Europe come to the United Kingdom if they have a British relative. European Parliament Vice President Pedro Silva Pereira told the BBC he expects the E.U. to ratify the Brexit deal by the end of January.
“I have just read the PM's Brexit plan, and it has changed…. For the worse,” tweeted Lisa Nandy, a Labour lawmaker considered a possible contender in the leadership race to replace Corbyn.
European Parliament Vice President Pedro Silva Pereira told the BBC that he expects the E.U. to ratify the Brexit deal by the end of January.
He also said that 11 months to negotiate a complex trade deal “is unprecedented.”He also said that 11 months to negotiate a complex trade deal “is unprecedented.”
“It is a different situation,” he said. “We come from a level of economic integration which has no comparison with other trade agreements that we've done before. But we also have a different and difficult issue to settle, which is the level of regulatory disalignment.” “It is a different situation,” he said. “We come from a level of economic integration which has no comparison with other trade agreements that we’ve done before. But we also have a different and difficult issue to settle, which is the level of regulatory disalignment.”
Opening the debate, Johnson said: “This is the time when we move on and discard the old labels of ‘Leave’ and ‘Remain.’ In fact, the very words seem tired to me as I speak them, as defunct as big-enders and little-enders, or Montagues and Capulets at the end of the play.”Opening the debate, Johnson said: “This is the time when we move on and discard the old labels of ‘Leave’ and ‘Remain.’ In fact, the very words seem tired to me as I speak them, as defunct as big-enders and little-enders, or Montagues and Capulets at the end of the play.”
He continued: “Now is the time to act together as one reinvigorated nation, one United Kingdom, filled with renewed confidence in our national destiny and determined at last to take advantage of the opportunities that now lie before us.”He continued: “Now is the time to act together as one reinvigorated nation, one United Kingdom, filled with renewed confidence in our national destiny and determined at last to take advantage of the opportunities that now lie before us.”
Catherine Barnard, a professor of European law at Cambridge University, agreed that 11 months is an “incredibly short” time frame to negotiate a trade deal. She said she expects any trade deal reached by the end of 2020 to be very narrow, covering issues such as industrial goods, agriculture and food. Catherine Barnard, a professor of European law at Cambridge University, agreed 11 months was an “incredibly short” time frame to negotiate a trade deal. She said she expects any trade deal reached by the end of 2020 to be very narrow, covering issues such as industrial goods, agriculture and food.
“Pretty thin gruel, but that’s likely all that can be negotiated in the short period of time that’s available,” she said. “And then it’s very likely there will be a rolling program of negotiations to cover other issues,” such as transport, energy and internal security.“Pretty thin gruel, but that’s likely all that can be negotiated in the short period of time that’s available,” she said. “And then it’s very likely there will be a rolling program of negotiations to cover other issues,” such as transport, energy and internal security.
But in order for Britain. to get even a thin trade deal, she said, the E.U. will insist on so-called “level playing field provisions.”But in order for Britain. to get even a thin trade deal, she said, the E.U. will insist on so-called “level playing field provisions.”
“The E.U. doesn’t want a big player right on its doorstep undercutting its standards and having lower labor costs and lower consumer protections and lower environmental standards,” Barnard said.“The E.U. doesn’t want a big player right on its doorstep undercutting its standards and having lower labor costs and lower consumer protections and lower environmental standards,” Barnard said.
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