PHOTO: BBC. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson may want a general election to overcome a negotiation impasse.
As the deadline for the Brexit approaches, tensions are rising in the British Parliament.
On Tuesday, October 22, Prime Minister (PM) Johnson’s European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill was approved by the MPs, by 329 votes to 299.
However, only a few minutes later, Members of Parliament (MPs) rejected the timetable in a second vote, leaving the Brexit deal “in limbo.”
For the EU, there are two options now: granting an extension for the U.K, or letting the U.K. leave the Union without a deal.
Originally, the Brexit was intended to happen on March 29, as former Prime Minister Theresa May agreed on a deal with the E.U. in November 2018. The PM, however, resigned after her Brexit deal was rejected by MPs three times. The MPs were particularly skeptical about the backstop, which they deemed an impediment that blocks the UK from making trade agreements with other countries.
After former PM May stepped down in June, Boris Johnson took office in July. The PM announced on October 17 that there is a revised deal between the U.K. and the E.U.
The new arrangement, if taken into effect, is expected to allow the U.K. to form its own trade relations. The deal further outlines a customs border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, meaning that some goods transported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland would be taxed. The tariffs are to be reimbursed if the goods are not being moved elsewhere. The rest of the bill does not differ largely from the one proposed by former PM May in that it includes the rights of EU citizens in the UK and the rights of British citizens in the E.U, along with the amount of money the U.K. should pay the E.U.
At the moment, the legislation is paused, and the E.U. officials are considering the extension request. If the British request is accepted, the new deadline will be January 31, 2020. If the E.U. rejects to offer any more extension, the British MPs will have to choose between PM Johnson’s deal and no-deal at all. PM Johnson may want a general election to overcome the current deadlock he is facing, but the earliest date that the election could take place would be November 28.
According to the European Parliament news reports, Guy Verhofstadt, Member of the European Parliament for Belgium, said: “We need the approval of the British Parliament. And once that is done, it will return to the European Parliament. The European Parliament will scrutinize the agreement and finally give its consent.”
The MEP also added: “Should the U.K. reject the current deal, then an extension should only be given under specific circumstances. In that case, we would say an extension is only possible when there is a way out of this crisis. That means that on the British side they decide on something, for example, an election or a second referendum. What we will not do is to give an extension without any purpose. They have to decide on a way out.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/10182582/brexit-what-withdrawal-agreement-bill/
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-50146182
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-50148094
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20191017STO64561/verhofstadt-we-will-only-approve-brexit-deal-after-uk-has-approved-it
BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr)
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