UK urges EU to reflect 'political reality' on Brexit

LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has urged European Union leaders to drop their opposition to renegotiating the terms of Brexit, claiming recent European elections required a change of approach.

Johnson, who took office late last month, says he wants to leave the EU with a deal but insists the current terms are unacceptable and, if necessary, Britain will exit on October 31 with no agreement at all.

In an article in The Mail on Sunday newspaper, new Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said European Parliament elections in May had changed the political dynamic and urged EU leaders to amend the mandate of their chief negotiator, Michel Barnier.

"The political realities have changed since Mr Barnier's instructions were set," Barclay wrote.

"Since the last mandate was agreed, 61 percent of all the EU states' MEPs have changed. Such a fundamental shift illustrates the need for a change of approach.

"Mr Barnier needs to urge EU leaders to consider this if they too want an agreement, to enable him to negotiate in a way that finds common ground with the UK.

"Otherwise, no deal is coming down the tracks."

Former prime minister Theresa May quit after delaying Brexit twice while she tried unsuccessfully to get the divorce terms she struck with Brussels through the British parliament.

But the EU has refused to reopen the deal, the result of 17 months of tough negotiations.

Johnson has ramped up preparations for leaving without any agreement.

Johnson has said he would prefer to the leave the EU with a deal but has rejected the Irish backstop - an insurance policy to prevent the return of a hard border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland - which the EU says is key to any agreement.

Some British lawmakers have vowed to stop him, fearing the economic consequences of severing ties with Britain's closest trading partner overnight.

The main opposition Labour Party has also said it will oppose any Brexit deal brought forward by Johnson if it does not protect jobs, workers' rights and the environment.

However, Johnson's top aide, Dominic Cummings, one of architects of the 2016 campaign to leave the EU, said lawmakers will be unable to stop a no-deal Brexit by bringing down Britain's government in a vote of no confidence next month because the House of Commons is in recess until Sept 3, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

" (Lawmakers) don't realize that if there is a no-confidence vote in September or October, we'll call an election for after the 31st and leave anyway," Cummings was quoted by one of The Sunday Telegraph's sources as saying.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Friday spoke with Johnson about trade, next-generation 5G mobile networks and global security, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

Trump told Johnson during a call on Thursday that he looked forward to meeting him at the G7 economic summit in France later this month, the White House said.

Agencies

(China Daily 08/05/2019 page12)