Final proposal - PM Johnson to unveil Brexit offer to EU

By Elizabeth Piper

 

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen at the venue for the Conservative Party annual conference in Manchester, Britain, October 1, 2019. REUTERS/Phil Noble

 

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Wednesday unveil his final Brexit offer to the European Union and make clear that if Brussels does not engage with the proposal, Britain will not negotiate further and will leave on Oct. 31.

 

In his closing speech to his governing Conservatives' annual conference, Johnson will stick to his hard line on Brexit, offering the party faithful the first details of what he will describe as his "fair and reasonable compromise".

 

With less than a month until Britain is due to leave the EU, the future of Brexit, the country's biggest trade and foreign policy shift in more than 40 years, is uncertain. Britain could leave with a deal, without one or not exit at all.

 

Johnson, who says Britain will leave the bloc on Oct. 31 no matter what, will tell the conference he will send his proposal to Brussels on Wednesday, an attempt to secure a deal to smooth the country's departure and avoid a potentially economically damaging no-deal Brexit.

 

"My friends, I am afraid that after three-and-a-half years people are beginning to feel that they are being taken for fools. They are beginning to suspect that there are forces in this country that simply don't want Brexit delivered at all," he will say, according to extracts released by his office.

 

"Let's get Brexit done on October 31 so in 2020 our country can move on."

 

More than three years after Britain voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, Brexit talks are at an impasse.

 

Johnson has been firm that the Oct. 31 deadline will be met, but parliament has put roadblocks in his way - passing a law that requires the prime minister to request a Brexit delay if he fails to secure an acceptable deal at an EU summit on Oct. 17.

 

The EU has repeatedly asked Britain to come up with "legal and operational" proposals for the changes Johnson wants to a deal his predecessor negotiated with the bloc last year.

 

"NOBODY WILL WORK ON A DELAY"

Following its rejection three times by parliament, Johnson has demanded changes to the Withdrawal Agreement, especially over arrangements for a new border with the bloc between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.

 

But after weeks of talks since Johnson took power that have made little headway to break the Brexit stand-off, the prime minister will make his last gambit - a new proposal which British officials describe as the final offer.

 

"The government is either going to be negotiating a new deal or working on no deal — nobody will work on delay," a senior government official said.

 

"We will keep fighting to respect the biggest democratic vote in British history. The EU is obliged by EU law only to negotiate with member state governments, they cannot negotiate with parliament, and this government will not negotiate delay."

 

Johnson has made the gamble that by pressing a hardline position on Brexit he will steal votes from parties such as the Brexit Party led by veteran eurosceptic Nigel Farage at an election, widely expected to come before the end of the year.

 

He also has the main opposition Labour Party in his sights, and will use his speech to attack its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who has led efforts to try to stop the prime minister taking Britain out of the EU without a deal.

 

"Can you imagine another three years of this? That is the Corbyn agenda – stay in the EU beyond October 31, paying 1 billion pounds ($1.23 billion) a month for the privilege, followed by years of uncertainty for business and everyone else," he will say.

 

"That is why we are coming out of the EU on October 31. Let's get Brexit done - we can, we must and we will."

 

($1 = 0.8123 pounds)

 

(Additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan and William James, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-02

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I just read this interesting article. Enjoy!

 

While Johnson plays games, the EU prepares to move on

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/01/boris-johnson-eu-prime-minister-brexit

 

"There is no reason why Merkel or Macron should fashion a deal to the specifications of a Tory campaign. While Downing Street is thinking about clap lines for a speech, the EU wants legal guarantees that can withstand future changes in the political weather. The two sides are not operating to the same time horizon. Both say they want a deal, but Johnson means a headline to get through the week; Brussels means a treaty to secure the integrity of the European project for a generation."

 

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Brussels means a treaty to secure the integrity of the European project for a generation."

From that lot? ????

 

Hs final proposal that will be rejected. Ireland has seen it and has already turned it down.

As I am European, out of UK, now, after those many lies we heard and could see from the UK government I want them OUT!

1 minute ago, manhood said:

As I am European, out of UK, now, after those many lies we heard and could see from the UK government I want them OUT!

 

Most Europeans I know would love to see the UK sink into the sea. And I am tired of all the whining of a bunch of incapable fools. Best would be to close all borders for 100%, to close the tunnel and let them sort it out for themselves.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Wednesday unveil his final Brexit offer to the European Union and make clear that if Brussels does not engage with the proposal, Britain will not negotiate further and will leave on Oct. 31.

 

So why are the Tory MEP's advertising for interns to start 1st November???

Excellent. Since our friends and partners in the EU will leak the proposal to the press within hours and then rubbish it, we should all know the contents pretty soon.

 

Let's hope it's rejected by all parties so we can make a clean break at the end of the month.  

12 minutes ago, manhood said:

As I am European, out of UK, now, after those many lies we heard and could see from the UK government I want them OUT!

I sincerely hope one of the member states feels the same as you and vetoes any request for an extension.

 

We want out, it's time to accept it and let us leave.

 

13 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

 

Most Europeans I know would love to see the UK sink into the sea. And I am tired of all the whining of a bunch of incapable fools. Best would be to close all borders for 100%, to close the tunnel and let them sort it out for themselves.

Thought it was the other way around: a majority of Brits who dream the rest of the world sinks into the sea.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

With less than a month until Britain is due to leave the EU, the future of Brexit, the country's biggest trade and foreign policy shift in more than 40 years, is uncertain. Britain could leave with a deal, without one or not exit at all.

Well , it looks like that the EU is better prepared for a ' no deal Brexit ' than Britain ... Boris needs to be realistic if he wants to survive politically .

But with the british politicians being apparently incapable to find a solution everybody can agree , everything is possible ...

Anyway it reminds me of a ' soap opera ' that is not meant to end soon ...

“Boss, on Wednesday you will receive my final proposal for this employment. After my wife and the kids for three years are telling me I deserve double the pay for half the time, freed from the shackles of all your workplace rules and telling me what to do, it is time that you accept the Democratic will of our family. If you don’t accept my final proposal, I will be out and gone, no matter the mortgage and that I won’t be able to find a new job anytime soon. I am holding all the cards because you will lose an employee and my wife will blame you when we have to apply for food stamps. Ha! And don’t expect me to serve the three months notice period be agreed to in my employment contract. Out means out!”

16 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

I sincerely hope one of the member states feels the same as you and vetoes any request for an extension.

 

We want out, it's time to accept it and let us leave.

 

----> " In a no-deal scenario, the UK suffers more and, after a period of gratuitous pain, returns to negotiations with diminished leverage. It was never a real bluff because the economic cards were dealt face up. " <----

7 minutes ago, Momofarang said:

Thought it was the other way around: a majority of Brits who dream the rest of the world sinks into the sea.

Not at all. We want to be free to strike deals with the rest of the world. 

 

Remainers love to paint Leavers as inward looking little Englanders. It's another strawman argument, most Leavers are very forward thinking and realize that the exciting growth over the next few decades will be outside the EU, and we want to be a part of it.

 

Of course we will still deal with the EU, but we want to deal with the whole world, not just the protectionist bloc on our doorstep. The Commonwealth, Asia, the US, Africa, South America. Massive potential. Of course the old unelected grey men in Brussels won't like it, but C'est la vie.

 

 

5 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

----> " In a no-deal scenario, the UK suffers more and, after a period of gratuitous pain, returns to negotiations with diminished leverage. It was never a real bluff because the economic cards were dealt face up. " <----

Sounds like this is going to work out great for the EU. Makes you wonder why they don't let us leave at the end of October and start reaping the benefits immediately ????.

Not at all. We want to be free to strike deals with the rest of the world. 
 
Remainers love to paint Leavers as inward looking little Englanders. It's another strawman argument, most Leavers are very forward thinking and realize that the exciting growth over the next few decades will be outside the EU, and we want to be a part of it.
 
Of course we will still deal with the EU, but we want to deal with the whole world, not just the protectionist bloc on our doorstep. The Commonwealth, Asia, the US, Africa, South America. Massive potential. Of course the old unelected grey men in Brussels won't like it, but C'est la vie.
 
 

Good grief! You genuinely think the likes of Farage, Johnson, Rees-Mogg, Raab et al are "forward thinking"? [emoji23]

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22 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Excellent. Since our friends and partners in the EU will leak the proposal to the press within hours and then rubbish it, we should all know the contents pretty soon.

 

Let's hope it's rejected by all parties so we can make a clean break at the end of the month.  

And then what? You do realise that there is NO clean break. There would be continuing negotiations with the EU  - because they're not going away - on all the unresolved issues, including future trading agreements and the Irish borders. To think otherwise is not thinking.

 

In other words, you can check out anytime, but you can never leave.  

6 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Not at all. We want to be free to strike deals with the rest of the world. 

 

 

Do you really think that the UK will get better deals than the EU ?  That "protectionist bloc" has much more power than the UK has. 

 

 

28 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

I sincerely hope one of the member states feels the same as you and vetoes any request for an extension.

 

We want out, it's time to accept it and let us leave.

 

 

Who is 'we'?

 

I certainly don't want out on a no-deal basis, and I surmise the majority of the population agree with me.

 

We don't want a no-deal. Accept it. 

11 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Sounds like this is going to work out great for the EU. Makes you wonder why they don't let us leave at the end of October and start reaping the benefits immediately ????.

No one doesn’t let you leave. It’s the UK who doesn’t want to leave because there’s no majority for it. 

4 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

 

Do you really think that the UK will get better deals than the EU ?  That "protectionist bloc" has much more power than the UK has. 

 

 

You mean like those great deals the EU has with the US and China? 

 

Pffft, who needs to deal with those minnows.

9 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

And then what? You do realise that there is NO clean break. There would be continuing negotiations with the EU  - because they're not going away - on all the unresolved issues, including future trading agreements and the Irish borders. To think otherwise is not thinking.

 

In other words, you can check out anytime, but you can never leave.  

Yes we'd need to sort out a trade deal. Until then we can deal with them on WTO terms.

 

No need to get hysterical about it.

13 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Not at all. We want to be free to strike deals with the rest of the world. 

 

Remainers love to paint Leavers as inward looking little Englanders. It's another strawman argument, most Leavers are very forward thinking and realize that the exciting growth over the next few decades will be outside the EU, and we want to be a part of it.

 

Of course we will still deal with the EU, but we want to deal with the whole world, not just the protectionist bloc on our doorstep. The Commonwealth, Asia, the US, Africa, South America. Massive potential. Of course the old unelected grey men in Brussels won't like it, but C'est la vie.

 

 

You do realise that the UK has trade deals with over 40 countries outside the EU as a virtue of being in the EU? 

All of these would have to be renegotiated. And if you consider the USA to be a suitable trading partner, I don't share that opinion. Their health standards are abysmal and well below the EU and UK.

2 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

No one doesn’t let you leave. It’s the UK who doesn’t want to leave because there’s no majority for it. 

 

 

52/48 was a majority to leave.

It would appear the most of country would prefer a 'no deal' as opposed to an extension.

 

3 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

No one doesn’t let you leave. It’s the UK who doesn’t want to leave because there’s no majority for it. 

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

A non-binding advisory referendum. I could ask three people in a pub and get an equally effective majority. You know very well you don’t have a majority for leaving, otherwise you would have left already. You only have a paper tiger. 

2 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Yes we'd need to sort out a trade deal. Until then we can deal with them on WTO terms.

 

No need to get hysterical about it.

From all accounts, dealing on WTO terms is the fast route to economic disaster for companies, as their imposed tariffs are way above the EU. Be careful what you wish for, as you probably won't like the consequences.

3 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

52/48 was a majority to leave.

You need a majority in parliament. You know that. 

2 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

You do realise that the UK has trade deals with over 40 countries outside the EU as a virtue of being in the EU? 

All of these would have to be renegotiated. And if you consider the USA to be a suitable trading partner, I don't share that opinion. Their health standards are abysmal and well below the EU and UK.

Many have already been negotiated but we cannot sign until we leave. South Korea for example.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49430207

 

Yes I consider the US to be a suitable trading partner.