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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Brexit remains main issue at UK Tory party conference

Andy-Jalil
Andy-Jalil
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Long before the Conservative party conference began this week, it was already expected to be dominated by Brexit, the biggest issue Britain has been involved in for decades. It has caused a split within the members of the conservative party and, indeed, between ministers in the government who are divided on this issue.


It also appears that the European Union, vastly unhappy at Britain leaving the Union, is bent on punishing the UK for the exit and wishes to make it as difficult as possible for the country.


Former Brexit minister, David Davis, who resigned only in July over his disagreement on the Prime Minister, Theresa May’s plans — the so called ‘Chequers Plan’ — and who, as the leading negotiator had the most experience in dealing with the EU has been quite clear on how much the EU is attempting to make matters difficult for the UK, which will also serve as a deterrent for other countries who may wish to break off at any future stage.


There are countries among the 27 other members who are not entirely happy with the EU, for example Hungary and Italy, to mention just two.


Davis has said that Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel wants to stop Britain thriving after Brexit and Theresa May must not see her as the UK’s ‘champion’.


He also said only French president, Emmanuel Macron is taking a harder line against Britain than the German chancellor, accusing them of being “emphatic about us not being seen to succeed.”


The ex-cabinet minister predicted the negotiations will “go the distance”, with any trade deal being clinched only at the last minute. He reserved his anger at the stalemate in the talks for the French president. He blamed Paris for “playing hardball”, saying there are strong elements driving its policy.


He said one is the “daft argument” it will only encourage others if the UK gets a good deal.


And another “is a very, very narrow French one of trying, as it were, to raid our economy to get businesses to go to France.” Davis also hit out at the German chancellor. “I don’t think Merkel was ever really going to be our champion, neither Macron nor Merkel.”


He said May has to show the Tory conference she is “tough enough to stand up” to Brussels. But he warned of more Brexit turmoil ahead, stressing it is “tough now but it will get tougher” as the countdown to the end of Article 50 nears.


EU leaders seem to calculate that, if they remain tough, Britain might drop the whole idea of Brexit. They are also listening to former prime ministers Tony Blair, Sir John Major and former Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg, all staunch Eurocrats but all now labelled ‘has-beens’ in Britain.


But despite that they are seen by EU as men of authority and influence. When they talk of capsizing Brexit, they are heeded. The EU, is used to overturning referendum results it dislikes and will hope this can happen with the UK. If so, they will be badly mistaken on this occasion.


Brexit minister Dominic Raab, who took over after Davis’ resignation, has accused EU chiefs of twisting the Irish border dilemma and plotting to break up the UK as punishment for leaving.


Brussels proposals for a customs border between Britain and Northern Ireland were rejected by May, resulting in the present impasse. Raab says that while some in the EU commission see it as a genuine solution to keep the Irish border open, others are “using it for political purposes”.


Knowing EU is being intentionally difficult, Raab said: “If you walk around the corridors in Brussels, you hear all sorts of mutterings about how the UK must be penalised for leaving and politicisation of Northern Ireland is part of that.”


He further said his opposite number in Brussels, Michel Barnier, is not one of those abusing the Irish border issue to punish Britain. Instead he described him as a “decent, professional interlocutor with a good team around him”, adding “I think they want a deal.” But he said of the other senior figures in the commission: “There is no doubt that it (the issue) is being used for political purposes.”


No one in Britain wants an acrimonious breakdown. But neither can the UK accept any calculatedly punitive terms offered.


(The author is our foreign correspondent based in the UK. He can be reached at andyjalil@aol.com)


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