Opinion divided over Johnson’s EU trade deal

BORIS Johnson’s trade deal with the EU was, unsurprisingly, the dominant theme in many opinion columns.

The Guardian

Martin Kettle argued the Prime Minister had secured a deal that would please no-one.

“Brexit will never cease to divide Britain,” he wrote.

“The issue will never be settled. Meanwhile, the extravagant pre-christmas exercise in brinkmanship suggests that there is, in fact, plenty in the deal for back-bench zealots and Farage to object to.

“[EU Commission President Ursula] Von der Leyen’s comment that this is a fair, balanced and responsible deal is not what the MPS in the European Research

Group want to hear. Even at the very end of the year, even with coronavirus spreading, even with most minds focused on the festive season and even with most of the press dutifully portraying Johnson as a commanding leader, things could fall apart in the coming days.

“One should never forget that, among all his many qualities, Johnson is a compulsive political risk-taker. Given the ferocity of the emotions that Brexit will always arouse, this deal may prove a much bigger risk than anyone, including Johnson, yet realises.”

The Daily Mail

Stephen Glover chose to strike a more optimistic note.

“We are leaving the EU next Thursday with a trade agreement that will avoid the ructions of no deal, which at any rate in the short term would have led to further economic agony at a time when this country is already on its back because of the depredations of Covid-19,” he wrote.

“The credit for this outcome must largely go to Boris Johnson. God knows, I have criticised him enough in recent weeks over his mishandling of the pandemic, and in particular for what seemed to me a breach of trust over his promise that there would be a five-day break over Christmas.

“For all that, he has held his nerve in recent weeks, repeating endlessly that we would ‘prosper mightily’ without a deal (would we?) and, in a game of bluff and double-bluff, giving the other side the impression that Britain would not abandon its ‘red lines’.”

He added: “It seems we may have a deal which, although it has inevitably involved compromise, does fulfil his promises made during the referendum campaign.”

The Daily Express

The paper said Britain was heading for a “golden era”.

“The lengthy negotiations have proven once and for all that the British people were right to vote to Leave with the ill-will shown by Brussels and leading European politicians, particularly France’s

President Emmanuel Macron,” it claimed in its leader comment.

“Their contempt for democracy has been damaging for the EU’S reputation and will lead to other Leave movements.

“But Mr Johnson and his chief negotiator Lord Frost have excelled.

“They were willing to stand up to the Brussels bullies and defend our interests.”