Johnson ‘in a pickle’ over Brexit deal approval: Analyst

British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, turns out to be “in a pickle” and having a hard time persuading members of the UK parliament to approve his proposed Brexit deal, a political commentator says. London and Brussels recently announced having reached an allegedly “fair and balanced” divorce deal after protracted negotiations and are now waiting for British lawmakers to decide on the fate of their country’s withdrawal from the bloc.

John Wight, a Scottish writer and journalist from Edinburgh, made the remark during a Thursday edition of Press TV’s The Debate program while commenting on Johnson’s statement that Britain and the EU had agreed on a “great” new Brexit deal, which would still need the approval of both the UK and European parliaments.   

Under the proposed deal, the UK will still pay a £39 billion exit fee as well as continue to abide by EU trade rules until the end of 2020, and possibly longer, to allow businesses to adjust. Moreover, the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, and UK citizens in the EU, will be guaranteed.

The so-called Irish backstop will also be removed, which would align Northern Ireland to the EU single market, while keeping it a part of the UK's customs territory. Any future trade deals struck up by the UK Government after Brexit will include Northern Ireland as well.

PressTV-UK, EU clinch Brexit deal after lengthy negotiations

Britain and the European Union (EU) have agreed on a long-awaited Brexit deal just a few hours before a meeting of the bloc’s leaders in Brussels.

“The common consensus at this juncture is that this deal is worse than the [former Prime Minister] Theresa May’s deal which was put to the British Parliament three times and was voted down by the parliament. Boris Johnson was one of the fiercest critics of Theresa May’s deal and so it doesn’t have the numbers in the parliament. The [Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party] DUP have made it clear that they won’t support it and vote against it, [the UK's opposition Labour Party leader] Jeremy Corbyn has made clear that he doesn’t support it and he will oblige his MPs in the Labour Party to vote against it, so, it doesn’t seem that Boris Johnson has a number,” Wight said.

“Boris Johnson is in something of a pickle, he is very bombastic; he certainly doesn’t lack confidence and a sense of bravado, he’s still taking up his chances of getting a prenup of the EU by October 31. He is clearly playing on the Brexit fatigue, which is endemic within the country, understandably so after three years of this intractable political and constitutional crisis,” he added.

The Scottish writer also censured London’s withdrawal from the 28-member bloc without an agreement and a no-deal Brexit, saying, “A hard Brexit would be an economic disaster.”

British lawmakers are set to vote on the agreement during a special sitting of the House of Commons on Saturday.

PressTV-New Brexit deal to face final test at home

As a Brexit deal has been agreed upon in principle between the UK Government and EU officials, major challenges await Prime Minister Boris Johnson at home.

Theresa May was voted down three times in the Commons and Johnson must persuade at least 29 lawmakers who voted against May’s deal to back his deal—while not losing any of those who supported May.

London and Brussels have been racing to renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement before the October 31-deadline.

If Johnson fails to win parliamentary support for the deal by Saturday, he must write to the EU and ask for a Brexit extension until January 31, 2020.

Robert Oulds, Director of the Bruges Group, a UK based think tank, was the other panelist invited to Press TV’s The Debate program, who rejected the possibility of Johnson’s new Brexit deal being passed in parliament.

“It’s pretty 50-50 whether it will get through; if it’s rejected or if it’s approved, it will just be by a handful of votes,” Oulds said.

“This is Theresa May’s agreement reheated and essentially nothing has changed… It essentially creates the same problems and that’s creating internal border within the United Kingdom between Northern Ireland and the west of the UK mainland, Great Britain, and that for the DUP and for the unionists is unacceptable,” he added.

Following the announcement of a deal, the DUP said it would not vote for the deal, as the proposals were “not beneficial to the economic well-being of Northern Ireland” and undermined the integrity of the union.

President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said there would be no extension granted for further Brexit talks, so, it is a do-or-die scenario for the UK Parliament to either accept or reject the deal.

The British premier has formerly promised to take Britain out of the EU by October 31, even if no Brexit deal is reached with the EU.

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