Boris Johnson to face one KEY issue in securing swift post-Brexit deal with Brussels
BORIS JOHNSON has been warned his parliamentary majority could become a liability as the British Government gears up to leave the first phase of Brexit behind to start trade talks.
Brexit Day: Expert warns Boris Johnson over EU trade deal
Boris Johnson saw his electoral gamble pay off after the Conservative Party secured an 80-seat majority in December 2019, granting him the ability to have his Brexit withdrawal agreement clear the Commons after months of uncertainty. The Prime Minister is set to mark Brexit Day with a conciliatory speech urging Remainers and Brexiteers to come together in this new era away from the European Union. But as Mr Johnson prepares to celebrate his victory, UK in a Changing Europe director Anand Menon suggested his electoral win could prove to be a liability in the post-Brexit trade talks.
Speaking to ITV News, Prof Menon said: "Lots of Brexiteers, after the election, said Boris has a massive majority and it’ll make him stronger.
"Actually, being weak at home is a really good thing in international negotiations because you can say, ‘I’d love to give you that, but look at those nutters behind me. They won’t let me.’
"Boris Johnson hasn’t got that argument up his sleeve anymore."
Asked about the potential strategy Brussels will adopt in the next phase, Prof Menon suggested EU member states will choose not to budge from the approach adopted during talks for a withdrawal agreement.
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He continued: "The EU’s strategy will be pretty much the strategy they had in the first phase, that is just sitting and wait.
"Saying, ‘there’s a variety of options, tell us which one you want.’ This is how the EU negotiates, the EU does not usually negotiate with third countries.
"It usually says, ‘this is what we are willing to offer, come and tell us what you want.’ They’ll treat us just the same way."
Maddy Jack from the Institute for Government also warned the Prime Minister could have lost part of his leverage because of MPs not having the chance to vote on the very final trade agreement.
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Ms Jack said: "The tactic the EU also has is that it is a group of countries, there are 27 member states.
"So actually, in negotiations, it is quite hard for them to move because they’ll say, ‘Germany doesn’t want to move on this, Italy has this problem.’
"They can sort of use the collective power of those member states as a negotiating capital whereas the UK doesn’t quite have the same thing."
She continued: "Because the Government isn’t going to have a vote in Parliament at the end of the treaty negotiations, they can’t use that in the same way to say, ‘we can’t give way on fish.’
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"It’s going to be quite challenging for the UK Government to have the same leverage in the talks as the EU will have."
Mr Johnson message to the nation is to be broadcast on Facebook from Number 10 at 11pm.
He is expected to say: "Our job as the government – my job – is to bring this country together and take us forward.
“And the most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning,” the Prime Minister will say.
"This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life changes – your family’s life chances – should depend on which part of the country you grow up in.
“This is the moment when we begin to unite and level up."