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Boris Johnson faced a growing wave of anger from conservatives and business leaders last night as he seemed ready to embrace a no-deal Brexit and readied Royal Navy gunships to defend UK fishing waters.
With the Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who will decide on Sunday whether to stop the stalled talks and make the momentous decision not to accept any agreement, a result that would lead to tariffs and quotas on trade between the UK and EU and Price Rise: Johnson’s handling of the final stage of the negotiations has caused astonishment in his own party and in the EU.
Fearing the disastrous effects of the lack of agreement, former cabinet ministers called for talks to resume despite Sunday’s “deadline”, to ensure that 2021 does not start against the backdrop of twin crises caused by the pandemic and Brexit.
Tobias Ellwood, Conservative Chairman of the Defense Select Committee, also voiced outrage at government-inspired headlines about plans to use gunboats to patrol fishing waters, confirmed by the Defense Ministry, saying they were “absolutely irresponsible” and damaging to the UK’s reputation abroad. .
Damian Green, a former cabinet minister, led the calls from the remaining Conservatives for talks to last as long as it takes to reach an agreement. “Every rational person in Britain and Europe knows that an agreement would be better in all respects, so I still cling to the hope that reason will triumph,” he said.
A government source said: “The talks continue overnight, but as things stand, the offer on the EU table remains unacceptable. The prime minister will leave no stone unturned, but it is absolutely clear: any deal must be fair and respect the fundamental position that the UK will be a sovereign nation within three weeks.
A Downing Streeet source said the talks in Brussels remain very difficult.
Writing in the Observer Today, Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, expresses his disbelief that companies have not yet been informed of the rules under which they will have to operate as of January 1.
“Businesses need detailed answers, not vague letters, posters, or television commercials,” writes Marshall. “It’s hard to believe that we still have to ask ministers for clarity on the basics of trade, such as rules of origin, customs software, tariff codes and much more, just fifteen days before the end of the transition period. “
He adds that the lack of clarity will mean that investment decisions will be delayed: “Companies can and will adapt to the new UK business reality. However, they are not miracle workers or mind readers. Without official guidance, many will stop long-term planning and stop investing. “
The use of gunboats to patrol UK fishing waters in the event a deal was not reached was endorsed by Admiral Lord West, a former Naval Chief of Staff. “It is absolutely appropriate for the Royal Navy to protect our waters if the position is that we are a sovereign state and our government has said that we do not want other nations to be there,” he told the BBC.
But the behavior of the Johnson government provoked indignant responses from the big supporters of the conservative permanence. Also writing today Observer, Former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine says of Brexit and the slide into no-deal: “This government will be, and should be, responsible for the worst peacetime decision of modern times. I personally know members of the Cabinet who believe this as strongly as I do. I can’t understand his silence. “
Heseltine adds: “Christmas is upon us and before the country goes back to work, we are alone. Sovereign, in charge, regained control. None of that creates a single job, a pound of investment, or an increase in living standards. We will have risked our commercial relationship with the largest market in the world, which represents almost half of our imports and exports ”.
Meanwhile, former Conservative Party Chairman and European Commissioner Chris Patten said Johnson was not a Conservative but an “English nationalist.” He told BBC Radio 4’s Today that he feared for the future of the UK when it finally exited the EU single market, “which of course we helped to build because the main builder of the single market was Margaret Thatcher.”
On Sunday, the Cabinet Office releases details of its latest Brexit planning, suggesting Johnson’s willingness to accept a no-deal. A Whitehall source said preparations had been painstaking but predicted difficult times, including clashes with foreign fishing boats.
“We have hired an additional 900 officers to deal with the border, and 1,100 border officers are expected to be hired in March. There are more than 20 helplines to advise specific sectors, and we have even given companies more time to prepare by introducing import controls in stages, he said.
“On January 1, we will have to act quickly and decisively to address any issues that arise. We have developed a playbook that maps out each foreseeable scenario with minister-approved courses of action so that we can implement them immediately if necessary.
“These plans work in real life, not just on paper. We have conducted live exercises to move fresh produce and fish across the border, and revolt warships to respond to threats of illegal fishing in our soon-to-sovereign waters.
“We have tested our traffic management plans and are confident that we have the tools to mitigate the disruptions and queues at the border that will inevitably occur in the first few weeks as merchants adapt to new requirements. By building more truck spaces than we need, prioritizing trucks carrying day-old fish and chicks and launching the ‘Check an HGV’ service, goods can continue to move smoothly through Kent. “
Greg Clark, former business secretary and current chairman of the Commons scientific committee, said: “It is clearly unacceptable that the UK is expected to agree to be unilaterally punished if we refuse to follow future EU policy.”
