Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 2 OctOber 2019

Moment of truth: UK to submit 'final offer' for Brexit deal

uled Oct. 31 date with or end of a shipment's jour- At the annual conference,
without a deal, despite a ney. Johnson is attempting to
law passed by Parliament "That I don't think will energize his party with all
that compels the govern- be onerous, it certainly the bold policies he says
ment to seek a delay to wouldn't involve infrastruc- the government will deliver
Brexit if it can't get a deal ture," he told Sky News. once the U.K. manages to
by Oct. 19. That still falls short of the "Get Brexit Done" — from
A Brexit agreement be- seamless border that exists more money for police,
tween the EU and his pre- today. Irish Prime Minister roads and housing to a big
decessor, Theresa May, Leo Varadkar said that un- hike in the minimum wage.
was rejected three times der May, the U.K. govern- Tuesday's big theme, law
by the U.K. Parliament, ment "promised no hard and order, was slightly un-
largely because of opposi- border or associated con- dermined when a Con-
tion to the "backstop," an trols or checks and we ex- servative lawmaker was
insurance policy designed pect the British government ejected from the confer-
to ensure there is no return to honor that promise." ence over an altercation
to customs posts or other "People here don't want a that saw police swoop on a
infrastructure on the Irish customs border between convention center lounge.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson rushes through the rain dur- border. north and south and no The costly policy prom-
ing the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England, An open border underpins British government should ises, which break with a
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson rush-
es through the rain during the Conservative Party Conference in both the local economy seek to impose customs decade of deficit-slashing
Manchester, England, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019. and Northern Ireland's posts against the will of the austerity by Johnson's Con-
Associated Press peace process. But British people on the island of servative predecessors, are
Brexit supporters oppose Ireland," he said in the Irish also designed to appeal to
By JILL LAWLESS England. the backstop because it parliament. voters in a national election
Associated Press Johnson's office said the would keep the U.K. tightly Johnson insists he wants to that looks likely to be called
MANCHESTER, England (AP) prime minister will call the bound to EU trade rules in strike a deal with the EU within weeks.
— After months of Brexit proposals a "fair and rea- order to avoid customs to replace May's rejected But he is dogged by allega-
stalemate, Britain is finally sonable compromise" but checks — limiting the coun- Brexit agreement. He also tions that he handed out
about to play its hand, set- also a final offer, and say try's ability to strike new says the U.K. can handle perks to a female friend's
ting out Prime Minister Boris that if the EU does not trade deals around the any bumps that come business while he was may-
Johnson's "final offer" for a agree to discuss it, Britain world. from tumbling out of the or of London and groped
last-minute divorce deal would refuse to negotiate So far, the U.K. has floated bloc without a deal, which the thigh of a female jour-
with the European Union. further. the idea of a common area would mean the instant im- nalist at a lunch two de-
It's a crucial moment for "Let's get Brexit done -- we for livestock and agricultur- position of customs checks cades ago. Johnson denies
the embattled leader, who can, we must and we will," al products, plus largely un- and other barriers between impropriety in both cases
is faced with a skeptical EU, he planned to say. tested "technological solu- Britain and the EU, its big- — though said Tuesday
a divided U.K. and a sup- Advance extracts of John- tions" as a replacement for gest trading partner. that he couldn't remember
portive but worried Con- son's speech released by the backstop. The EU says But the U.K. government the lunch in question.
servative Party. The party his office did not reveal the that is inadequate. Ireland and businesses say the dis- He also suggested the al-
that chose Johnson as its contents of the proposed has already rejected an ruptions would be substan- legations against him might
leader in July is mostly — deal, leaving an impatient idea raised in preliminary tial. motivated by political op-
but not unanimously — ral- EU to wait a little longer. U.K. proposals for customs Trade Minister George Free- ponents trying "to knock the
lying behind a politician Britain is due to leave the posts five to 10 miles (eight man told delegates at the government off course."
whose drive and energy 28-nation bloc in just 30 to 16 kilometers) away from Conservative conference Johnson is popular with
have been stained by al- days, and EU leaders are the border. that "if we leave without a many Conservative mem-
legations of improper be- frustrated with the govern- Johnson said Britain would deal, it's going to be very bers, who welcome his
havior and divisive political ment's failure thus far to set not propose that idea, but bumpy." He said the flow of energy and optimism after
tactics. out detailed plans for main- added that it was a "reality" trade across the Channel three years of Brexit gridlock
The government said John- taining an open border be- that some checks would between the English port of under May. Some, though,
son would send the formal tween the U.K.'s Northern be needed to create a Dover and the French port have qualms about his per-
proposals to EU leaders in Ireland and EU member "single customs territory" for of Calais — the U.K.'s most sonal conduct and his divi-
Brussels on Wednesday af- Ireland — the key sticking the U.K. important trade route — sive tactics, which include
ter he rallies his party with point to a deal. He said checks could be could be cut in half as cus- using words like "surrender"
a conference speech in Johnson says Britain will conducted away from the toms and vehicle checks and "betrayal" about op-
Manchester, northwest leave the EU on the sched- border, possibly at either were introduced. ponents of Brexit.q