Although Great Britain is facing the deepest recession of all major economies, Boris Johnson is ready to give up trading with the European Union.
According to the agency “Bloomberg”, economists and entrepreneurs in Britain are holding their breath. A tough exit scenario is the least of what the long-suffering British economy needs now. Experts are wondering if Johnson is bluffing? According to the agency, there are at least 4 reasons to believe the prime minister’s statements.
First, for Boris Johnson, Brexit is personal. He is the one who led the campaign to withdraw from the European Union in 2016. At the end of last year, that idea helped him win the parliamentary elections.
“The completion of the process and the withdrawal of Britain from the EU legal orbit at the end of the transition period in December will be his legacy”, – writes Bloomberg.
Second, Boris Johnson loves excitement, and some of his biggest bets have paid off. He has long thought about whether to support the idea of Brexit. Thus, he opposed the leader of his party David Cameron, but ended up in the government as Foreign Minister. When Johnson made his next bet on Brexit, he left the government of Theresa Mae. This move eventually led him to the post of prime minister.
“His warnings this week are warnings of a Brexit supporter and may not be just a negotiation tactic. According to him, there can be no compromise on Brexit’s “basic principles” – to give Britain control over its borders and legislation again,” the article says.
Thirdly, whatever Johnson’s ideas are, he is quite capable of implementing them, having a parliamentary majority. In the past, he had to step back to negotiate with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadcar, but now he is free to do whatever he wants.
Finally, the fourth reason Johnson can sabotage negotiations with the EU is because Brexit is not at the center of the political debate, as it was last year.
“The coronavirus pandemic and the government’s misreaction to it have become a much bigger problem for voters and politicians alike”, – Bloomberg said.