News / Politics

Johnson to offer to EU: Engage or UK will leave bloc on Oct. 31

Wednesday, 02 October 2019 8:42 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 02 October 2019 9:16 AM ]

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (AFP photo)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to unveil his final offer to the European Union over Brexit that unless the EU engages with Britain, the UK will leave the bloc on Oct. 31.

In his closing speech to his Conservatives’ annual conference on Wednesday, Johnson is not to give up on his hard line on Brexit, offering the party details of what he will call his “fair and reasonable compromise.”

“My friends, I am afraid that after three-and-a-half years, people are beginning to feel that they are being taken for fools. They are beginning to suspect that there are forces in this country that simply don’t want Brexit delivered at all,” the premier will say, according to extracts released by his office.

“Let’s get Brexit done on October 31 so in 2020 our country can move on.”

The EU has repeatedly asked London to offer “legal and operational” proposals for the changes Johnson wishes to be made to a deal former prime minister Theresa May negotiated with the bloc in 2018.

May took office after former Prime Minister David Cameron resigned following the Brexit referendum in June 2016. She had consistently defended her Brexit strategy, saying it was the only way to secure a smooth withdrawal from the EU.

The British parliament, however, had repeatedly rejected her Brexit deal.

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Meanwhile, Conservative Party Chairman James Cleverly called on the EU to compromise if it did not want a “no-deal” Brexit.

A “no-deal” Brexit would mean that no measures will be taken to remedy the sudden breakup of trade and cooperation agreements that have existed for decades.

Also, a senior British government official said: “The government is either going to be negotiating a new deal or working on ‘no deal’ — nobody will work on delay.”

“We will keep fighting to respect the biggest democratic vote in British history. The EU is obliged by EU law only to negotiate with member state governments, they cannot negotiate with parliament, and this government will not negotiate delay.”

In September, Johnson said he would find a way to take Britain out of the EU on Oct. 31, by circumventing a parliament vote which ordered him to delay the withdrawal for around three months.