Original title: will the British Parliament say 'no' when Johnson announced the conclusion of a new brexit agreement?
Beijing, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) according to a comprehensive report, on the 17th, British Prime Minister Johnson announced that Britain and the European Union had reached a new agreement on brexit. The Johnson administration plans to submit the new agreement to Congress for a vote on the 19th. He said he is "very confident" that the agreement can be approved.
However, the Northern Ireland democratic Unity Party (DUP), the largest opposition Labor Party and the Scottish National Party (SNP), which are allies of the ruling conservative party, have indicated that they will not support the agreement. Therefore, it is still unknown whether the agreement can be passed in Parliament.
[the UK and Europe have reached a new agreement, but it has yet to be approved by Parliament]
On the 17th, leaders of 27 EU member states except Britain unanimously adopted a resolution to support the latest "brexit" agreement reached between the European Commission and the British government on the same day.
European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker said the new agreement is fair and balanced for both the EU and the UK. The resolution also requests the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council to take the necessary steps to ensure that the agreement enters into force on November 1. According to the EU's subsequent statement, Juncker said that the new agreement could guarantee peace and stability on the island of Ireland and fully guarantee the EU's single market.
The border issue between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is one of the key difficulties in the "brexit" negotiations. The brexit agreement reached between former Prime Minister Theresa May and the EU was rejected by the British Parliament three times in January and March this year. The main reason is that the "backup arrangement" involving border issues was opposed by most members of Parliament, including members of the ruling Conservative Party and the European Union.
The new agreement adopts a complex and flexible arrangement acceptable to both Europe and Britain on the border issue. On the one hand, Northern Ireland will withdraw from the EU customs union as part of the British customs territory. On the other hand, there is no customs port at the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and the border inspection of goods will be carried out at the port where the goods are transported. Meanwhile, all goods entering Northern Ireland will still comply with EU inspection standards.
The brexit agreement must be approved by the European Parliament and the British Parliament before it can enter into force.
[conservative allies oppose, whether the agreement can be passed is still unknown]
Johnson said on the social networking site Twitter: 'we have reached a great new agreement and regained control. Now, Congress should let brexit happen on Saturday so that we can turn to other priorities such as the cost of living, the national health service system, violent crime and the environment. "
Meanwhile, Johnson said that the new agreement can ensure that Britain can recover its control over law, border, currency and trade without interference, and establish new relations with the EU on the basis of free trade and friendly cooperation.
However, the conservative party does not have a majority in the British Parliament. The 10 seat Northern Ireland democratic Unity Party has made it clear that it will not support the new agreement, saying that the new agreement is not in the long-term interests of Northern Ireland and will undermine the integrity of the United Kingdom. According to three DUP officials quoted by Bloomberg, the party is dissatisfied with a number of arrangements such as setting up customs inspection in the Irish sea.
Corbin, the leader of the labor party, criticized that Johnson's new agreement was worse than the agreement made by her predecessor Teresa may. He said: 'this agreement to betray Britain cannot unite the country and should be rejected. The best way to solve the brexit problem is to let the people make the final decision in a referendum. "
Downing Street sources revealed that Johnson planned to ask for the exclusion of the possibility of delaying brexit at the EU summit, so as to force British parliamentarians to choose between the new agreement and no agreement.
The source said: 'he will not ask for an extension, and if the EU proposes an extension, he will not accept it.'