Brexit brinkmanship: EU orders UK to scrap plan for treaty breach, UK refuses

By William James and Gabriela Baczynska

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a Cabinet meeting of senior government ministers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London, Britain, September 1, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville/Pool//File Photo

 

LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union told Britain on Thursday it should urgently scrap a plan to break their divorce treaty, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government refused and pressed ahead with a draft law that could sink four years of Brexit talks.

 

The European Commission said it was stepping up preparations for a messy end to Britain's departure from the EU, and that London would be committing "an extremely serious violation" of last year's Withdrawal Agreement if it went ahead with proposed legislation.

 

After emergency talks between Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic and Britain's Brexit supremo Michael Gove, the EU said Britain's proposal had "seriously damaged trust" which London must now take steps to re-establish.

 

Gove, one of Johnson's most senior ministers, said he refused the EU's request to scrap the draft legislation.

 

"I explained to Vice President Sefcovic that we could not and would not do that," Gove said.

 

EU diplomats and officials said the bloc could take legal action against Britain, though there would be no resolution before the end-of-year deadline for Britain's full exit.

 

Britain signed the treaty and formally left the EU in January after more than three years of crises and wrangling over Brexit. But it is a member in everything but name until the end of the year when a transition agreement expires.

 

The British government says it is committed to the treaty and that a proposed law overriding parts of the Withdrawal Agreement merely clarifies ambiguities. Its main priority, it says, is the 1998 Northern Irish peace deal that ended decades of violence.

 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told his British counterpart Dominic Raab a violation of the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU would be "unacceptable", a spokeswoman said.

 

Europe's leaders have been handed an ultimatum: accept the treaty breach or prepare for a messy divorce that could sow chaos through supply chains across Europe and spook global financial markets.

 

The pound fell against the dollar and the euro and the FTSE 100 share index fell. European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde said she was monitoring Brexit developments.

 

The EU's negotiator Michel Barnier, in London for separate scheduled talks on an overarching future relationship deal, criticised the British approach to negotiations and said significant differences remained.

 

"The UK has not engaged in a reciprocal way on fundamental EU principles and interests," he said in a statement.

 

"The EU is intensifying its preparedness work to be ready for all scenarios on 1 January 2021."

 

Britain's negotiator David Frost said there would be further talks in Brussels next week and he would keep working on a deal.

 

"A number of challenging areas remain and the divergences on some are still significant," Frost said in a statement.

 

BREXIT ULTIMATUM

European diplomats said Britain was playing a game of Brexit "chicken", threatening to wreck the process and challenging Brussels to change course.

 

Some fear Johnson views a no-deal exit as a useful distraction from the coronavirus pandemic.

 

One EU source said Britain would not succeed if it tried to use the planned breach of the Withdrawal Agreement as a threat to extract concessions from the bloc in trade talks.

 

"If they try to do that, it will fail," the EU source said.

 

Goldman Sachs said it expected "the perceived probability of a breakdown in negotiations to escalate over the coming weeks" but its base case remains a "thin" free trade agreement that steers both sides back from the brink.

 

Without a trade agreement, nearly $1 trillion in trade between the EU and Britain could be thrown into confusion at the start of 2021, compounding the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

But Britain is pressing one of the EU's most sensitive buttons -- fear that a post-Brexit Britain could become a much more deregulated free-market competitor with access to EU markets by using selective state aid.

 

The latest dispute centres on rules for Northern Ireland, which shares a land border with EU member Ireland, because under the divorce deal it remains within the EU's orbit -- a restriction Britain wants to remove.

 

Former British leaders Theresa May and John Major scolded Johnson for considering an intentional breach of international law.

 

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Britain would not get a trade deal with the United States if it did anything to undermine the 1998 Northern Irish peace deal.

 

"This news comes to us ... that the UK had decided to undermine the Good Friday Accords. What were they thinking?" she told reporters in Washington.

 

"Whatever it is, I hope they're not thinking of a UK-U.S. bilateral trade agreement to make up for what they might lose."

 

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Michael Holden, Andy Bruce and Olga Cotaga in London, Padraic Halpin in Dublin and John Chalmers in Brussels; Editing by Catherine Evans, Janet Lawrence and David Evans)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-09-11

 

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This is exactly where Boris Johnson wanted to be at all times - his parliament forced him into deal negotiations that he never wanted. Now he thinks that he has a way out and can blame the EU for it.

 

He does not care about any collateral damage to his own country,  it is all about his ego and being right - Trumps playbook 1:1

Therein lies the problem: EU ORDERS THE UK....God, please, leave now!

International negotiations move very slowly in order to get things right because it is absolutely vital that a country keep its word. Countries that don't keep their word include North Korea, for example.

 

If the UK doesn't keep its word in these negotiations, then why would anyone expect them to keep their word in any other future negotiations? If other countries don't believe that the UK will keep its word, then why would they negotiate with the UK at all? 

 

All those 'magical' trade deals the Brexiteers claimed would save the UK? Up in smoke. 

 

This is the single dumbest move I have ever seen.

 

Seriously, the dumbest.

 

 

So Major,May and Pelosi aren’t happy, that’ll do for me.

Carry on Boris. 

35 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

Therein lies the problem: EU ORDERS THE UK....God, please, leave now!

No,

apparently they don't want, and play games with the real Brexiters, who start to be / are frustrated. 

But I don't know why they don't want to do it. 

 

The guy is a plank.

2 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

The guy is a plank.

Agree. Bungling Boris thinks he is above the law.

It's happening, the act goes to the commons next week and I'm pretty sure it will pass due to the massive majority

 

The Lords can make some noise but there's nothing they can do stop it.

2 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Therein lies the problem: EU ORDERS THE UK

That is if you only read the headline and skip reading the article.

Hint: "EU's request...."

47 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Agree. Bungling Boris thinks he is above the law.

Bungling Boris and his 6 person rule is another stupid idea. Everything has Cummings footprints over it, Boris is just a mouthpiece for him.

 

Countries that renege on international deals doesn't look good to potential new trading partners.

The only people complaining are Remainers. <deleted>. Boris has the EU rattled.

Hy Boris! Tell the EU to stick their "orders" where the sun don't shine. WTO now!!!

I said at the time we should have left No Deal last year with no withdrawal agreement. It was always a lopsided agreement with Theresenous May's name all over it.

 

The longer we negotiate with the EU, the more we get dragged into their convoluted, underhand attempts to put us in a straitjacket.

 

I have no issue breaking the WA as the EU have already done so by refusing to negotiate in good faith. I'd scrap it altogether including the divorce payment. If they want to go to court then bring it on.

 

 

3 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Therein lies the problem: EU ORDERS THE UK....God, please, leave now!

The problem is only untrustworthy states break up a already sealed deal. You know like Russia and North Korea. This is just not done. Untrustworthy that is what the Brits are. Lets hope the Scots also feel not compelled to stick to their deals hold a referendum and break free. 

 

Then watch the UK crumble 

3 hours ago, twocatsmac said:

So Major,May and Pelosi aren’t happy, that’ll do for me.

Carry on Boris. 

Exactly, along with Blair and other EU puppets. Check with checkmate around the corner.

The remainers are in meltdown, how dare the UK stand up to our bullyboy tactics.

5 minutes ago, vogie said:

The remainers are in meltdown, how dare the UK stand up to our bullyboy tactics.

Not really more like how dare they disregard international law. But then again Brits are no longer trustworthy.

 

You should look up international law. Even in the US did they respond with disgust. I wonder who the UK will find that will trust them if the UK can unilaterally break up treaties. Then again Brexiteers were never the brightest lot.

I think , by now , everybody wants the same thing : UK out !

Out without a deal , no problem for the EU , but may be one for the UK ...?

And , by now , the UK has lost it's reputation for being a reliable partner , ( if ever there was a reputation for this ? )

So , farewell , UK , nobody will cry when you finally leave , but erverybody will be relieved . Go your own way and , please , never try to come back . 55

3 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Therein lies the problem: EU ORDERS THE UK....God, please, leave now!

It’s the ERG who are deciding UK policy.

1 minute ago, robblok said:

Not really more like how dare they disregard international law. But then again Brits are no longer trustworthy.

 

You should look up international law. Even in the US did they respond with disgust. I wonder who the UK will find that will trust them if the UK can unilaterally break up treaties. Then again Brexiteers were never the brightest lot.

Posters who insult other posters for merely having a different opinion to themselves do not deserve a reply nor will they be getting one.

So much for the Tories being the party of ‘Law and Order’.

 

 

Just now, vogie said:

Posters who insult other posters for merely having a different opinion to themselves do not deserve a reply nor will they be getting one.

That is not a problem you don't have much facts to offer anyway.

2 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

I think , by now , everybody wants the same thing : UK out !

Out without a deal , no problem for the EU , but may be one for the UK ...?

And , by now , the UK has lost it's reputation for being a reliable partner , ( if ever there was a reputation for this ? )

So , farewell , UK , nobody will cry when you finally leave , but erverybody will be relieved . Go your own way and , please , never try to come back . 55

Yea they are damaging their own future by going against international law. Soon the phrase as untrustworthy as a Brit will be coined. Let see how they get trade deals if their partners know they go back on their words. 

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

So much for the stories being the party of ‘Law and Order’.

Yes blatant disregard of international law... does not look really well. Could be put in the group with North Korea, Russia to name but a few.

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

So much for the Tories being the party of ‘Law and Order’.

 

 

The remainers were warned at the time what would happen, they could have voted for Mays Brino deal, they are now reaping what they sowed. 

24 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

If they want to go to court then bring it on.

It won't be necessary, other countries will do the judging.

10 minutes ago, robblok said:

Not really more like how dare they disregard international law. But then again Brits are no longer trustworthy.

 

You should look up international law. Even in the US did they respond with disgust. I wonder who the UK will find that will trust them if the UK can unilaterally break up treaties. Then again Brexiteers were never the brightest lot.

The US responded with disgust? 

 

Only that senile old bint Pelosi. And only because her thought process is so neanderthal that she equates Boris with Trump. She'll be long gone by the time the US deal is finalized, same as Bolock Obama was following his 'back of the queue' comments that helped secure Brexit.

4 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Therein lies the problem: EU ORDERS THE UK....God, please, leave now!

Johnson, Gove et al the other Brexiteers negotiated this <deleted> deal, campaigned during an election of how great it was for the UK and then voted to accept it in a Parliamentary vote, it's their <deleted> deal! They are nothing but scheming, opportunist, duplicitous vermin.

4 minutes ago, lom said:

It won't be necessary, other countries will do the judging.

Like everyone abandoned Thailand following the coup?

 

Money talks. Virtue signalling walks.