Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at the House of Commons in London. (Reuters)Newly-elected UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday assured British lawmakers that he will work “flat out” to meet the October 31 Brexit deadline and called on Brussels to reconsider its opposition to renegotiate a more acceptable deal.
While delivering his maiden speech after taking charge as Prime Minister in the House of Commons on Thursday, Johnson said, “Our mission is to deliver Brexit on the 31st of October for the purpose of uniting and re-energising our great United Kingdom and making this country the greatest place on earth… I will work flat out to make it happen.”
Explained | Enter Boris Johnson: What happens in the UK today?
“There is every chance that in 2050, when I fully intend to be around, though not necessarily in this job, we will look back on this period, this extraordinary period, as the beginning of a new golden age for our United Kingdom,” Johnson, who took over from Theresa May after a leadership election fought on the basis of getting Brexit done – with or without a deal, said.
While Johnson spoke on a range of subjects, the bulk of his speech focussed on Brexit, including a categorical stand against the controversial Irish backstop – which has deeply divided all sides of the Commons.
Also read | Will UK PM Boris Johnson bring ‘first girlfriend’ into No. 10?
“The Withdrawal Agreement negotiated by my predecessor has been three times rejected by this House. Its terms are unacceptable to this Parliament and to this country…If an agreement is to be reached it must be clearly understood that the way to the deal goes by way of the abolition of the backstop,” he said, addressing the most controversial aspect of May’s Brexit agreement which led to its repeated defeat in Parliament and ultimately ended her premiership.
Urging Brussels to return to the negotiating table, Johnson said his team was ready to negotiate an alternative in good faith, with provisions to ensure that the Irish border issues are dealt with in the negotiations on the future agreement between the UK and the EU.
“For our part, we will throw ourselves into these negotiations with the greatest energy and determination and in the spirit of friendship. And I hope that the EU will be equally ready and that they will rethink their current refusal to make any changes to the Withdrawal Agreement,” he said.
“If they do not, we will, of course, have to leave the EU without an agreement under Article 50. The UK is better prepared for that situation than many belief. But we are not as ready yet as we should be. In the 98 days that remain to us we must turbo-charge our preparations to make sure that there is as little disruption as possible to our national life,” he added.
