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Brexit

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Faces Criticism Over Stalled Trade Deal with EU

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure after his three-hour dinner with European Union President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels ended with no breakthrough in post-Brexit trade talks. The Labour Party and Scottish National Party have slammed Johnson, accusing him of failing to deliver on his promise of an "oven-ready" deal. The two sides have agreed to set Sunday as the final deadline for making a decision on the future of the trade talks, which have been stalled for months over issues such as fishing quotas and the level-playing field.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing criticism from the Labour Party and Scottish National Party over his failure to deliver a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.
  • Johnson had promised an "oven-ready" deal, but has failed to deliver, with Labour Party's deputy leader Angela Rayner calling it a "total failure".
  • The two sides have agreed to set Sunday as the final deadline for making a decision on the future of the trade talks, which have been stalled for months over issues such as fishing quotas and the level-playing field.
  • If no trade deal is secured before the year's end, the World Trade Organisation's rules will come into effect, including customs tariffs and full border checks for UK goods going across the English Channel.
  • Scottish National Party's Parliament leader Ian Blackford has warned that a no-deal outcome "would be a massive failure" of Johnson's diplomacy and leadership.
  • The UK left the EU on January 31, and entered an 11-month transition period to negotiate their future commercial relations.

Statistics:

  • The UK has 11 months to negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.
  • The two sides have agreed to set Sunday as the final deadline for making a decision on the future of the trade talks.
  • If no trade deal is secured, the World Trade Organisation's rules will come into effect in 2021.
  • Customs tariffs and full border checks will apply to UK goods going across the English Channel if no trade deal is secured.
  • The UK has been a member of the World Trade Organisation since 1995.

Sources:

  • Sputnik news agency
  • Twitter (@AngelaRayner)
  • Twitter (@IanBlackfordMP)
  • Bernama news agency (official website)

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