Editorial | Brexit deal struck by Boris Johnson better than nothing
- New agreement to leave European Union may not be the best one for Britain, but after three years of talking time has now come to act for the sake of country
Today, he faces an even tougher objective – winning support for it from parliament. A special Saturday sitting of the House of Commons will determine the fate of the last-minute agreement reached between the British government and EU officials after frantic negotiations. Time is running out if Johnson is to make good on his “do or die” pledge to secure Brexit by the October 31 deadline.
He deserves credit for making the concessions necessary to seal a deal with the EU. Many thought he had no intention of reaching an agreement and was determined Britain should leave without one.
Now the deal has been done, the ball is back in parliament’s court. But it is far from certain that Johnson will win enough votes. After all, his predecessor Theresa May failed three times to win backing from lawmakers for her own agreement.
The new deal leaves most of May’s plans intact. But crucial changes have been made on arrangements for Northern Ireland, which had previously proved a stumbling block. Those changes mean Johnson is unlikely to be able to rely on support from the Democratic Unionist Party.
