By Ben Kerrigan-
New prime minister Boris Johnson will struggle to unite a divided Britain, but must be given a chance to try. The former Mayor of London has been elected as the new Conservative leader in a ballot of party members after comfortably beating Jeremy Hunt winning 92,153 votes to his rival’s 46,656.
The United Kingdom has been divided ever since the 2016 referendum that saw a marginal majority of the voting public vote to leave the EU. Ever since that vote, the path of delivering Brexit successfully and peacefully has been a laborious task to achieve. Parliament rejected Theresa May’s agreement deal three times, and there have been protests on the streets of Britain by both supporters and opponents of Brexit.
As soon as mr.Johnson’s victory was announced, a number of Mp resigned from their posts in a sign of deep skepticism about how the former Foreign Secretary plans to get Britain out of the EU. EU bosses have a very negative perception about Boris Johnson and determined not to co-operate with any efforts he makes to negotiate the terms agreed with Theresa May which was rejected by parliament. This leaves Johnson with the only and obvious option of forcing a departure ”do or die”, as he once said.
Johnson has his supporters, mainly those who just want Brexit done whatever the costs. Delivering his victory speech at The Queen Elizabeth II centre in London, Mr Johnson promised he would “deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn”. “We are going to energise the country.
“We are going to get Brexit done on 31 October and take advantage of all the opportunities it will bring with a new spirit of can do.
“We are once again going to believe in ourselves, and like some slumbering giant we are going to rise and ping off the guy ropes of self doubt and negativity.”Mr Johnson thanked his predecessor, saying it had been “a privilege to serve in her cabinet”. He became Foreign Minister under Theresa May’s leadership after blowing an opportunity to immediately replace David Cameron by delaying on sending a key tweet to assure his supporters he had their back.
TASK
Within the next 24 hours, he will be at no 10 Downing Street, he has the massive task of uniting a divided Britain, and achieving Brexit without breaking the nation in the process. EU chiefs have already poured water on any optimistic plans to see Ms May withdrawal’s agreement revised, by insisting they will not revise it.
Frans Timmerman, the First Vice president for The European Commission and European Commissioner for Better Regulation immediately expressed a dead end in Brexit negotiations in his insistence not to move from the withdrawal agreement offered t o Theresa May. he said: “He [Boris Johnson] took a long time deciding whether he was for or against Brexit and now his position is clear.
“I think the position of the EU is also clear: the United Kingdom reached an agreement with the European Union and the European Union will stick with that agreement. We will hear what the new prime minister has to say when he comes to Brussels.”
Timmermans recently accused Johnson of playing games in reLation to the Uk leaving The EU.Asked on Tuesday, he said: “I would just suggest that you look at what he’s been writing over the years.
“I don’t think I’m telling any secrets when I say that Boris Johnson took a long time to decide which side of the argument he was on. He did that publicly and in letters he’s written.”
First Vice President Of EU: Frans Timmerman accuses Johnson of Playing games
He also suggested there was no mandate for a no-deal Brexit, adding: “I think if we look back at the last years I don’t think there were many people in the UK who, when they voted for Brexit, that intentionally voted for a no-deal Brexit. I don’t think that happened.”
PROPOSED BREXIT EXTENSION
The European Commission’s newly elected President, Ursula von der Leyen expressed willingness to grant the UK another extension to Brexit talks, if London comes up with good reasons. Mrs von der Leyen said: “There are many different and difficult topics to tackle together. There are challenging times ahead of us. I think it is very important to build up a strong and a good working relation because we have the duty to deliver something that is good for people in Europe and in the United Kingdom.” The EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, is due to meet MEPs on the European Parliament’s Brexit Steering Group in an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday to respond to Mr Johnson’s election.