By Chathushka Perera
London, UK (CWBN)_ Brexit, the British policy on self-isolation, continues to develop into a very likely no-deal venture, since PM Boris Johnson’s remarks last week, which were reinforced by Minister for the Cabinet Office, Michael Gove, in parliament, yesterday (19th October).
Responding to concerns expressed by Former PM Theresa May regarding national security and law enforcement, Gove said that, “significant progress has been made in respect to security cooperation, but it is the case that the EU are insisting that before we have access to systems like the Schengen Information System that we have to accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. We cannot accept that!”
Gove further quoted May in saying, “no deal is better than a bad deal”
The words left the Former PM, who had in fact instigated the Brexit process, in a state of horror. Local news channels reported that, she had called the Government’s plans “utter rubbish” while off-camera. Her concerns were shared by local police with respect to the loss of EU arrest warrants, live passenger-date access and rapid counter-terror operations.
Nonetheless, within a matter of minutes after his statement, Gove announced a complete “U-turn” in negotiations, stating that the PM’s European Adviser, David Frost, has been in conversation with the Head of the Task Force for Relations with the UK (UKTF), Michel Barnier, and that the EU has agreed to “the intensification of talks and also to working on legal texts”.
Downing Street has stated that it would not be participating in further negotiations despite the Brexit deadline due to expire at the end of this year. Hence, it is more than likely that as things stand that the UK would move into 2021 without a Free-Trade Agreement which would provide the country’s economy with preferential access to the European Market.
Moreover, as this is the case, Johnson is likely to sour UK relationship with not only mainland Europe but also its neighbour and EU member, Ireland, which has grown accustomed to the use of the free access policy to trade goods and services through the UK. Save for its fraying relationship with US, Brexit would no doubt isolate the British people in these very contentious times, particularly accounting the Covid-19 and the gathering influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
