LONDON, Oct 18, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will
on Friday seek to sell his Brexit deal to sceptical MPs, as he returns home
fresh from an EU victory but risking defeat in parliament.
Johnson pulled off a major coup in agreeing a new divorce deal with the
European Union leader, paving the way for him to deliver his promise to leave
the bloc on October 31.
But Thursday’s deal must still pass the House of Commons, which is meeting
for a special session on Saturday to debate the text — and many MPs are
strongly opposed.
Looking tired after days of intense negotiations, Johnson told a Brussels
press conference late Thursday that he was “very confident” of getting the
deal through.
But he has no majority among MPs, opposition parties have come out against
the deal and even his parliamentary allies, Northern Ireland’s Democratic
Unionist Party (DUP), say they cannot support the terms.
If the Commons rejects the deal on Saturday, Johnson will be forced by law
to ask the EU to delay Brexit, for what would be the third time — something
he says he will not do.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sought to focus MPs’
minds, saying Brussels can see no need to prolong the tortuous, three-year
Brexit process.
“We have a deal, and this deal means there is no need for any kind of
prolongation,” he said — although the decision to delay, if requested by
London, would be for EU leaders.
He further warned that if British PMs rejected the deal it would create an
“extremely complicated situation”.
– ‘This is our chance’ –
Johnson, a leading Brexit campaigner in the 2016 EU referendum campaign,
took office in July vowing to keep to the October 31 Brexit deadline, deal or
no deal.
He pledged to renegotiate the most contentious elements of a divorce text
agreed with Brussels last year, which was rejected by MPs three times.
But he has found that extricating Britain from four decades of economic,
legal and political integration with its European neighbours is no easy task.
A compromise deal was finally struck on Thursday, with a new arrangement
for keeping open the border between British Northern Ireland and EU member
Ireland.
“It looks like we are very close to the final stretch,” EU Council
President Donald Tusk said after the bloc’s leaders endorsed the text.
Johnson has assured his European counterparts that he can get the deal
through parliament.
“I’m very confident that when my colleagues in parliament study this
agreement, that they will want to vote for it on Saturday, and then in
succeeding days,” he told reporters. “This is our chance in the UK as
democrats to get Brexit done, and come out on October 31.”
– Wooing Labour –
But the DUP has said it cannot support the plans, as efforts to avoid
checks on the Irish land border would lead to new trade barriers between
Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.
The main opposition Labour, Scottish National and Liberal Democrat parties
are also against.
Their response sent the pound sinking again after it had earlier risen to
five-month peaks on news of the deal.
Johnson held meetings with the DUP and other MPs this week to try to win
support for his deal, made calls throughout the day on Thursday and will
continue this on Friday, a Downing Street official said.
But with the numbers extremely tight, he needs to win over Labour MPs
representing Brexit-supporting seats.
The Labour leadership objects to the new deal because it paves the way for
looser ties between Britain and the EU than were previously envisaged, and
the party has called for a second referendum on any deal.
“The deal he’s proposed is heading Britain in the direction of a
deregulated society and a sell-off of national assets to American
corporations,” Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said.
But Johnson insisted Britain was committed to the “highest possible
standards” for environmental and social protection.
An official said he would seek to reassure individual Labour MPs that these
could be guaranteed in a law implementing the Brexit deal, which could be
introduced as soon as Monday if parliament backs the agreement.