Johnson: Let’s Resist Calls to Break up UK

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that a majority in parliament wanted to resist calls to break up the United Kingdom.

Johnson was making a reference to Scottish nationalist lawmakers, who are demanding a new independence referendum.

“Most honorable members in this House believe we should resist the calls of those, who would break up the UK.

“And as the parliament of the UK, we should politely and respectfully defend that partnership and that union,” Johnson told parliament following his election win last week.

Britain set a hard deadline of December 2020 on Tuesday to reach a new trade deal with the EU, betting that the prospect of another Brexit cliff-edge would force Brussels to move more quickly than usual to seal an accord.

Johnson will use his control of parliament to outlaw any extension of the Brexit transition period beyond 2020 – his boldest move since winning a large majority in last Thursday’s election, and one that spooked financial markets.

“Our manifesto made clear that we will not extend the implementation (transition) period and the new Withdrawal Agreement Bill will legally prohibit government agreeing to any extension,” a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Asked if the government would legislate to rule out any extension of the transition beyond 2020, one of Johnson’s most senior ministers, Michael Gove, said: “Exactly, absolutely”.

After the United Kingdom formally leaves the EU on Jan. 31, it enters a transition period in which it remains an EU member in all but name while both sides try to hammer out a deal on their post-Brexit relationship.

“With absolute clarity on the timetable we are working to, the UK and the EU will be able to get on with it,” Johnson’s spokesman said.

A comprehensive free trade deal would encompass everything from financial services and rules of origin to tariffs, state aid rules and fishing, though the scope and sequencing of any future deal are still up for discussion.

By enshrining in law his campaign promise not to extend the transition period beyond next December, Johnson cuts the amount of time he has to negotiate a trade deal to 10-11 months – and possibly quite a lot less, given the time needed for

UK and EU parliamentary approval of any deal.

Johnson and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen agreed in a phone call on Tuesday to work with “great energy” to get a deal done by the deadline, the prime minister’s spokesman said.

The EU hopes to start the trade talks with Britain by March, while Britain said it wants to start as soon as possible.

Trade deals usually take many years. The 2,000-page EU-Canada trade deal known as CETA, or the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, took seven years to negotiate.

Meanwhile, the British parliament unanimously re-elected Lindsay

Hoyle as the Commons speaker after convening for the first time since last week’s election.

After congratulating Hoyle, Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the parliament – where his Conservative Party has a 80-seat majority – is “one of the best parliaments this country has ever produced,” citing record numbers of women and ethnic minorities.

Hoyle was elected in November to succeed John Bercow but served only a few days as speaker in the Commons, the British parliament’s main house, before it was dissolved for the election campaign.

Johnson adds that his government plans on Friday to present its bill on Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.