[ad_1]
Boris Johnson has warned that unless there is a “fundamental change of approach” by the EU, Britain will end the transition period on January 1 without any trade deal.
Johnson claimed that a European Council meeting in Brussels had left him convinced that the EU was not prepared to offer the UK a “Canada-style” trade deal.
In a dramatic television clip, the UK prime minister said Britain would approach the prospect of exiting the EU without a trade deal, an “Australia-style” result, with “big heart”.
Johnson’s statement will be seen as an attempt to force a crisis in negotiations with the EU, which remain stalled on the issue of Britain’s fisheries and subsidies regime.
He did not explicitly say he was walking away from the talks, but told the EU: “Only come to us if there is any fundamental change in approach.” He added that, in those circumstances, “of course we would be willing to listen.”
The pound fell 0.3% against the euro after Johnson’s statement at noon, in which he told businesses and travelers to prepare for a new relationship with the EU from January 1 without any trade deal. .
In a grim assessment of the state of the negotiations, Johnson said: “They want the continued ability to control our legislative and fisheries freedoms in a way that is completely unacceptable to an independent country.”
He said the EU summit in Brussels seemed “to rule out a Canadian-style deal entirely” and had concluded that the country should prepare for January 1 on principles “more like Australia’s.” Australia does not have a trade agreement with the EU, but is trying to negotiate one.
“For whatever reason, after 45 years of membership, they are unwilling, unless there is a fundamental shift in focus, to offer us the same terms as Canada,” he said.
“With great hearts and complete confidence we will prepare to embrace the alternative and prosper mightily,” added Johnson. Britain would try to negotiate side deals to minimize disruptions, he said.
Conservative MPs have speculated for some time that Johnson would need a “crisis” to bring negotiations with the EU to a head and that moment seems to have come.
However, most of the trade deal is already agreed and many senior officials in London and Brussels remain convinced that the negotiations are entering the final phase and that an agreement can still be reached. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2020
[ad_2]