Boris Johnson unveils new five-point Brexit plan
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says his new Brexit plan is a fair and reasonable “compromise”, and removes the controversial Irish backstop.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has finally unveiled his proposed Brexit plan, which removes the controversial Irish backstop.
In a letter to the European Commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker, Mr Johnson said the backstop was “ a bridge to nowhere” and outlined a fresh, five-point plan for how to tackle Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) on October 31.
“This government wants to get a deal, as I am sure we all do. If we cannot reach one, it would represent a failure of statecraft for which we would all be responsible,” he wrote.
Under Mr Johnson’s plan, Northern Ireland would stay in the European single market for goods, but leave the EU customs union.
That completely removes the backstop, which would have prevented a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland but effectively kept Britain in a temporary customs union with the EU.
“Taken together, these proposals respect the decision taken by the people of the UK to leave the EU, while dealing pragmatically with that decision’s consequences in Northern Ireland and in Ireland,” Mr Johnson wrote.
The key to the plan will be creating an “all-island regulatory zone on the island of Ireland”.
“For as long as it exists, this zone would eliminate all regulatory checks for trade in goods between Northern Ireland and Ireland by ensuring that goods regulations in Northern Ireland are the same as those in the rest of the EU,” the plan states.
Mr Juncker said there were “problematic points” in the proposed withdrawal deal, but EU negotiators would now “examine the legal text objectively”.
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Mr Johnson has just 10 days to crack a deal with the EU before a crucial summit on October 17. If he doesn’t secure an agreement by the end of that summit on October 19, he’ll be forced to ask the EU for a three-month extension.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Johnson told the Conservative Party conference in Manchester that he had tabled “constructive and reasonable proposals”.
“This is a compromise by the UK, and I hope very much that our friends understand that and compromise in their turn,” he said.
Mr Johnson also outlined his plans to take back control of Britain’s borders by introducing an Aussie-style immigration system.
“We want an Australian-style points-based system for immigration; (Jeremy) Corbyn says he doesn’t even believe in immigration controls,” he said, referring to the Labour Party leader.
Earlier this week, Home Secretary Priti Patel was met with cheers as she explained how the new points-based immigration system would work.
“We will introduce an Australian-style points-based immigration system. One that works in the best interests of Britain. One that attracts and welcomes the brightest and the best. One that supports brilliant scientists, the finest academics and leading people in their fields. And one that is under the control of the British government,” she said.
Mr Johnson also promised Britain would get “those free trade deals” when it eventually left the EU.
“Across the world there are countries that are yearning to engage with us, where we have old friendships and burgeoning new partnerships,” he said.
“That is the vision for Britain — a country that is open, outward-looking, global in mindset and insisting on free trade.”
Last month, British Trade Secretary Liz Truss met with Federal Trade Minister Simon Birmingham to discuss a potential deal that could allow people to live and work in both countries without a visa.
Originally published as Boris Johnson unveils new five-point Brexit plan