Fri 16 October 2020:
Boris Johnson has told Britain to “get ready” for a No Deal Brexit saying the UK will leave with “high hearts and complete confidence” after EU leaders refused to give ground at a critical meeting today.
Boris Johnson confirms we’re leaving the EU without a deal! That’s it – we’re out! 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/oyEKEPQMXV
— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) October 16, 2020
Good from @BorisJohnson and he should go further & say talks over, we are full on No deal. EU have negotiated in bad faith. Close file, move on with confidence. No deal is always better than bad deal. pic.twitter.com/x6uwIF4Zcs
— Richard Tice (@TiceRichard) October 16, 2020
Mr Johnson slammed Eurocrats for failing to come to the table after “45 years of friendship” but stopped short of walking away from talks entirely.
Johnson told reporters in Downing Street today: “From the outset we were totally clear that we wanted nothing more complicated than a Canada-style relationship based on friendship and free trade.
“To judge by the latest EU summit in Brussels, that won’t work for our EU partners.
“They want the continued ability to control our legislative freedom, our fisheries in a way that is completely unacceptable to an independent country.
“And since we have only 10 weeks until the end of the transition period on January 1, I have to make judgment about the likely outcome and get us ready.
Johnson continued by telling the UK to get ready: “And we can do it, because we always knew there would be change on January 1, whatever type of relationship we had.
“And so now is the time for our businesses to get ready, and for our hauliers to get ready, for travellers to get ready.
“And of course we’re willing to discuss the practicalities with our friends where a lot of progress has already been made, by the way, on issues such as social security, aviation, nuclear cooperation and so on.”
“But for whatever reason, it’s clear from the summit that after 45 years of membership, they are not willing, unless there is some fundamental change of approach, to offer this country the same terms as Canada,” he said, making his frustrations with the EU clear.
Johnson concluded in an upbeat tone: “And so with high hearts and complete confidence, we will prepare to embrace the alternative and we will prosper mightily as an independent free-trading nation, controlling our own borders, our fisheries, and setting our own laws.
Ursula von der Leyen response
Responding to the PM’s comments, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said a deal would not be done “at any cost”.
She wrote on Twitter: “The EU continues to work for a deal, but not at any price.
“As planned, our negotiation team will go to London next week to intensify these negotiations.
His blistering intervention came hours after German Chancellor German Chancellor had raised hopes that the EU would offer fresh concessions to broker a deal.
Speaking in the early hours at an EU leaders summit in Brussels, she insisted the bloc will “have to make compromises”.
The UK left the EU on Jan. 31, 2020, and is in a transition period until Jan. 1, 2021. The trade talks are to secure an agreement for what happens after the transition period ends, as this will also end free movement of people, capital, goods, and services.
