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The British government wants to boost the economy with extensive road and bridge construction projects. Links between different parts of the UK will also be strengthened. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday.
A study commissioned by your government aims to examine, among other things, the viability of a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland with a length of at least 20 miles. Furthermore, it should address the possible expansion of air, road and rail connections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The results of the study should be available by the middle of next year.
Johnson has long shown sympathy for a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Experts find it problematic that Ireland remains in the European Union after the planned Brexit, while Northern Ireland does not. In his opinion, the result could be political unrest. A bridge could bring the two UK countries closer together.
The idea of a bridge from the British mainland to the Northern Irish part of the country has been around for years. Critics consider the project too expensive in view of the deep water and prevailing wind in the strait. Estimates circulated in February that a bridge of this type would cost between 17,000 and 23,000 million euros.
Johnson is known for his predilection for large infrastructure projects. As mayor of London, he wanted to build a new bridge over the Thames. The project ultimately failed due to high costs of around 63 million euros. In early 2018, it announced a new bridge over the English Channel. Some experts also referred to this as “antics.”
In the Brexit dispute, the European Union and Great Britain want to keep trying to reach an agreement on future relations. That was confirmed by the head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and Johnson after a conversation on Saturday.
The ninth round of negotiations ended on Friday without significant progress. The time is now extremely short: Johnson had set the deadline for October 15. The EU says an agreement must be ready by October 31 so it can still be ratified.
The main points of contention in the negotiations are the EU’s demand for equal subsidies, environmental and social standards and the UK’s intention to restrict EU fishermen’s access to its waters.
Regardless of this, a dispute has arisen over compliance with the EU exit agreement that is already in force, which Johnson wants to partially nullify by law. The EU sees this as a serious breach of trust and law, and has announced legal action.
Britain left the EU on January 31. After the transition period is over, the country will also leave the internal market and the customs union at the end of the year. If a contract fails, there is a risk of tariffs and high trade barriers.
