Britain and the EU yesterday traded claims about who would be responsible for the failure of a new Brexit deal unveiled by London as the kingdom faces a messy exit from the bloc on Oct. 31.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the bloc’s failure to listen to his new proposal would result in it sharing the blame for a likely chaotic divorce.
Johnson is trying to muster support for a fresh approach, which focuses on complicated proposals for preserving an open border between British-run Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit.
Photo: EPA-EFE
However, he is facing headwinds across European capitals and his own parliament.
Failure to get the 27 EU leaders and UK lawmakers to back his plan will result in either a crash exit for Britain or a third Brexit delay this year.
Johnson yesterday reaffirmed that he has no intention of seeking an extension, despite parliament’s instruction to do so should he fail to secure a new agreement over the next two weeks.
“We have shown great flexibility without our European friends,” Johnson told parliament one day after publishing the details of his long-awaited plan.
“If our European neighbors choose not to show a corresponding willingness to reach a deal, then we shall have to leave on Oct. 31 without an agreement — and we are ready to do so, but that outcome would be a failure of statecraft for which all parties will be held responsible,” he said.
Yet European Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud insisted it was up to Britain to come up with a plan that worked for everyone.
“There are problematic points in the United Kingdom’s proposal and further work is needed, but that work needs to be done by the United Kingdom and not the other way around,” she told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.
British Secretary of State for Exiting the EU Steve Barclay has said all real talks had to start by this weekend to stand any chance of securing a deal before EU leaders meet in Brussels on Oct. 17 and 18.
“We need to move forward at pace, intensively,” he told BBC radio. “All sides recognize that the alternative, no-deal, is disruptive.”
Johnson was reminded of the challenges ahead when opposition lined up to denounce his proposals.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called Johnson’s plan “not workable” and “reckless.”
Businesses across Europe fear a “no-deal” Brexit could plug up long-established trade routes and unsettle financial markets for weeks and possibly months.
Johnson appeared to have won vital backing from some members of parliament who had repeatedly rejected the deal that former British prime minister Theresa May struck with the EU in 2017.
“It’s got a very good chance of getting through,” Johnson’s no-deal Brexit preparations point man Michael Gove told ITV television on Wednesday night.
“It seems to be a pretty solid majority, and it’s one that the EU can take reassurance from as well because one of the concerns that the EU had in the past [was that] look, if we make a concession, will it get through parliament?”
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source