Buoyant PM won’t be chastened by Brussels
HE is, unfortunately, the Commons Speaker. But in the chamber yesterday John Bercow struggled to say much at all after, mercifully, losing his voice.
How different history might have been had this posturing Remain activist in robes lost it a couple of years ago!
Boris Johnson, on the other hand, has found his. After an infectiously buoyant Tory conference speech, he returned to Parliament bursting with confidence to update MPs on his Brexit blueprint. Dare we say, he sounded prime ministerial. Calm, constructive and statesmanlike, he kept his promise to adopt a tone of ‘ glutinous emollience’ and reached out across the House. Such composed scenes would have seemed unthinkable a week ago. Then, baying Labour MPs, faces contorted with rage, rained vitriolic abuse when Boris described his opponents’ Brexit-blocking tactics as surrender and sabotage. So why the sudden mood shift? Undoubtedly, MPs of all colours have had time to cool off and reflect upon the potentially grim consequences of insensitive words carelessly thrown.
But Mr Johnson is also acutely aware of needing to forge Parliamentary consensus around his plan to leave the EU – and shatter the interminable impasse.
At its heart, the controversial backstop is ditched, with Northern Ireland leaving the customs union but remaining closely aligned to single market rules for goods.
Yes, that would mean customs checks. But they’d be minimal and done away from the border. And the UK and Ireland already cope with different currencies and tax rates.
It’s credible, well thought out and reasonable – and makes considerable compromises.
Significantly, momentum is swinging behind it. The Tory hard-Brexiteers have fallen into line. And up to 30 Labour moderates, most in Leave-voting seats, are considering it favourably. On these numbers, it would win a solid majority.
Entirely predictably, Jeremy Corbyn dismissed the ‘reckless’ deal out of hand. With stomach-churning irony, he said it jeopardised peace in Ireland.
And what was this appalling terrorist sympathiser doing while successive governments strove for peace during the Troubles? Offering succour to IRA killers who murdered thousands of innocent civilians, judges and police officers. Now the EU and Irish governments should consider the proposals in a positive spirit. Sensible people want politicians to stop the brinkmanship and strike a deal.
New figures show Germany – the bloc’s principal paymaster – tottering on the brink of recession. And Britain accounts for nearly £1billion of Ireland’s trade every single week, and one in ten jobs.
A No Deal earthquake would be felt all over the continent. But because Remain MPs have undermined Brexit by apparently making a clean break on October 31 impossible, EU ideologues have no incentive to compromise. European Council president Donald Tusk is ‘unconvinced’ by Mr Johnson’s plan. And Brit-bashing Irish leader Leo Varadkar insists it ‘falls short’.
To many in Britain, it is increasingly apparent Brussels is not interested in a fair deal. Rather, it wants the UK to skulk back into the fold, tail between our legs, humiliated and chastened.
But if their real aim is indeed to stymie the biggest act of democracy in British history, it may end badly. Should we not leave on Halloween, an election will follow. And if polls are right, the public will blame the EU and Remain establishment – not Mr Johnson. After winning a majority, he could simply walk away without a deal.
He told MPs his plan was a ‘genuine attempt to bridge the chasm’. The Mail believes he’s right. Now the EU must urgently follow suit. The clock is ticking.