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The eternal dispute over Brexit and the trade pact with the EU is reaching a critical point again. There is also great anger in the British Parliament. And now the prime minister is threatened with an uprising in his party.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is threatened with a rebellion within his own ranks in his plans to change the old Brexit deal. According to a Times report (Friday), up to 30 MPs from his Conservative Party want to vote against the amendment bill, with which Johnson wants to undermine parts of the agreement he has signed. The prime minister has a majority of 80 votes in the lower house. The government is assuming that they will get their law passed, he said.
With the “Internal Market Law”, Johnson wants to change the exit agreement agreed with the EU in 2019 in essential points. These are special rules for British Northern Ireland, which should avoid a hard border with the EU state Ireland and further hostilities there. Ireland’s Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said compliance with the treaty was a “prerequisite” for any other deal. The EU Commission asked London to withdraw the plans by the end of September, which the British government immediately rejected.
“This is hurting Britain enormously.”
Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz also urged Britain to adhere to the treaty. “The treaties have to be respected, everyone knows it,” said the SPD politician on the sidelines of an EU meeting in Berlin. The German ambassador in London, Andreas Michaelis, wrote on Twitter: “In more than 30 years as a diplomat, I have not seen a negotiation deteriorate so quickly, intentionally and profoundly.”
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire made it clear that the EU will not abandon its demand for a level playing field: “We will not accept anything that endangers or weakens the internal market.” Austria’s department head Gernot Blümel said it reminded him of the movie “Groundhog Day.” A man is caught in a time warp. “At some point you will have to think about how serious you mean it from the British side.”
Shortly before closing: On January 20, the British House of Commons votes in favor of Johnson’s Brexit deal. On January 22, the Lords of the House of Lords ratified the “deal.” (Source: imago images)
The government’s actions are doing great harm to Britain, said former Prime Minister Gordon Brown (Labor) of the BBC broadcaster. The law will be debated in the House of Commons starting Monday. Even from the House of Lords, a strong wind could blow toward Johnson’s plan. Brussels spoke of “an extremely serious violation of the Withdrawal Agreement and international law” if the law were passed.
There is the threat of a no-deal Brexit
Negotiations on the contract for the future relationship planned for 2021 are stalled anyway. The EU now wants to step up preparations for a “no deal”: if no contract is successful, there is the threat of a sharp economic breakdown with tariffs and other trade barriers on January 1. Left-wing MEP Martin Schirdewan suggested “Brexit bonds” from the European Investment Bank to help small businesses.
It is no coincidence that Britain announced its first finalized trade deal with a third country for the period after the transition phase of Brexit on Friday: with Japan. The pact was negotiated in four months. Trade Minister Liz Truss spoke of a “historic moment.” Johnson announced that Britain would flourish economically outside the EU.
The agreement aims to avoid tariffs on products from both countries and to allow companies to more easily employ workers from the other country. According to official British government figures, trade with Japan accounts for less than one percent of the UK’s gross domestic product.
