Britain’s struggle for a “better Brexit”

It took almost four years for the U.K. to finally leave the E.U. After Theresa May’s long-fought battle to deliver her Brexit plan to British MPs, Boris Johnson ultimately thwarted her efforts and took office on July 24, 2019. This past October, Johnson won the support of MPs for his Brexit deal and, within only six months of taking office, led the U.K. in finalizing its terms of divorce from Europe. This begged the question: how was Johnson’s deal different from May’s? How did Johnson push his Brexit deal through when May struggled to do so for three and a half years? Given that the new version of the deal only added a new chapter on the protocol concerning the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, why couldn’t May deliver Brexit? 

The biggest reason for May’s failure to convince Tory MPs of accepting her Brexit deal was the article on the “Irish backstop.” During Brexit negotiations, the idea that there should be a physical border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland was proposed. This raised many fears over a possible reignition of past hostilities between the neighbours. The backstop idea was May’s solution to prevent the establishment of a “risky border,” and to continue to allow for the free flow of goods and people. Under the backstop, the U.K. would temporarily stay in the E.U. customs union until it came up with an alternative plan with Europe to control goods between the two regions without creating a hard, physical border to handicap the flow of goods and people. This proposition, however, ultimately came under heavy criticism from hard Brexiters, and its rejection in Parliament, on several occasions, raised serious doubts over the competence of the sitting Prime Minister and eventually led to May’s resignation.

In contrast, Boris Johnson’s deal began under the premise that the U.K. (including Northern Ireland) should not remain in the European customs union, thereby necessitating the establishment of a limited hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This way, goods crossing the border would have to be checked and inspected, signaling a sharp departure from the status quo. However, under Johnson’s plan, the inspection of goods would not be done at the border between the two Irelands, and would instead be done at the boundary between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. 

Although May was fully devoted to delivering Brexit, she was unwilling to abandon the backstop idea which caused a great deal of criticism in Parliament. Ultimately, the no confidence vote in January of 2019 meant that British MPs could no longer support May’s Brexit plan. However, considering that Johnson was able to deliver Brexit in quite a short time, many have since reflected on how his leadership style diverges from that of May’s. 

Some critics have described May’s leadership style as meticulous, but also very rigid. They argue that although her Brexit plans faced fierce opposition, she disregarded much of her advisors’ opinions and refused to alter her views. And, as the British public grew increasingly tired of May’s obstinance, Johnson’s seemingly candid, spontaneous, and adaptable leadership style looked more and more attractive. This was as much the case for the public as it was for U.K. politicians.

While many people argue that May’s career was tarnished by her failed Brexit attempt, it is still too early to evaluate the success of Johnson’s Brexit. Moreover, many claim that Johnson simply put the finishing touches on a deal that was already extensively planned by the May government. 

It is important to note that although the U.K. has officially left Europe, it is not still very clear what kind of a relationship the two will have. This relationship, however, should be more defined during the so-called “implementation period” of Brexit which is due to last until the end of 2020 and will likely decide the fate of a potential E.U.-U.K. free trade deal. The first round of talks was concluded in the beginning of March, and the two sides had scheduled to begin the second round of negotiations on March 18. However, that was before the coronavirus swept through all of Europe. Now, the implementation period will likely to be extended as government leaders divert time and energy towards containing the spread of the virus. Nevertheless, when the intense trade negotiations resume, they will likely be the true test of Johnson’s Brexit strategy.