Iran Press/Europe: Addressing the House of Commons on Thursday in far more measured terms that he has used in recent weeks, Johnson outlined a new approach to Northern Ireland, part of the UK but integrated with the Irish Republic, an EU member, reported NBC news.
British Prime Minister said a day after his government submitted its proposal to the EU, "If our European neighbors choose 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."
He added, "But that outcome would be a failure of statecraft for which all parties would be held responsible." However, the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, did not sound convinced, saying it would be 'nearly impossible' for the EU to agree on Johnson's plan.
Coordinator of the European Parliament's Brexit Steering Group went further and said, "the proposals do not match even remotely what was agreed as a sufficient compromise in the backstop." Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar accused Johnson of contradicting papers submitted by the UK government on Wednesday, adding that opinion polls have skewed towards remaining in the EU since Johnson became prime minister. Johnson's tone marked a change from recent blustery and strident comments from the prime minister, who has in the past pledged to take the country out of the EU by Oct. 31 'do or die.'
Parliament rejected multiple deals that Theresa May, Johnson's predecessor, negotiated with the EU Economists have warned that leaving without a deal would have dire consequences for the UK and Irish economies — but some British Eurosceptics, including some in Johnson's cabinet, favor this approach. And the prime minister's critics accuse him of acting in bad faith and submitting a plan designed to be rejected by the EU so he has a greater chance of leaving by the October deadline.
Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused Johnson of tabling a deal he knows won't be passed by British lawmakers or European leaders. He said Johnson wanted "a Trump-deal Brexit that would crash our economy and rip away the standards that put a floor on people's rights at work." Eurosceptics including Johnson arguing the backstop is undemocratic because it could keep the UK in an EU customs union indefinitely.104/219
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