The beginning of a New Era in Britain

On the 10 May 1940, a dark shadow of war swept across Europe engulfing France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The relentless advance of Hitler’s forces overwhelmed everything in their path. The world had suddenly become a much darker place.

On the very same day as the Continent echoed to the marching jackboots, the man who would inspire a nation stepped up to become the Prime Minister of Britain. That man was none other than Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill.

2020 represents the 80^th anniversary of that momentous year.

One of the gifts that Churchill had was the force of his rhetoric as a way of uniting the nation after the Battle of Alamein in November 1942 after Montgomery’s “Desert Rats” routed Rommel’s “Africa Korps”, turning the tide of the North African Campaign. He summed the feeling of Britain echoed in his words:

“Now this is not the end.

 It is not even the beginning of the end.

 But it is perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

A moment of significance in history is set to happen at midnight CET, 23.00 hrs GMT on 31 January 2020.

After 3 extensions and 3 and a half years after the Referendum, Brexit is actually going to happen.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will no longer be a member of the European Union. Nothing big will happen. Big Ben will not bang or bong, but Friday the 31^st  January 2020  will mark the end of the beginning of the Brexit saga.

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, an Eton and Oxford toff, previously elected Mayor of London serving two terms (2008-16). was elected leader of the Conservative Party in July 2019 and became Prime Minister of Britain in a bid to take the UK out of the EU with or without a deal.

                                                              

The Boris Bounce  

Within six months he won convincingly at the election in December 2019 with a majority of over 80 Members of Parliament and sealed the Brexit Deal he negotiated with the EU in early January 2020.

Bo Jo as he is known is alive to the mindset that rhetoric cannot make a difference. He has a big battle ahead.

After UK formally leaves the EU, there is still “a lot to talk about” and months of negotiation will follow, but Boris has his cards up his sleeve.

During the transition period due to end 31 December 2020, the UK will continue to follow all of the EU rules and its trading relationship will remain the same. A Trade Agreement will have to be worked out between UK and the EU. This is needed because UK will leave the single market and the Customs Union at the end of the transition period. A Free Trade Agreement if negotiated, will allow goods to move around to the EU without checks and extra charges and may mean tariffs (taxes) on UK goods to the EU and possibly, other trade barriers.

Luckily for UK, although there are prophets of doom circling like Irelands Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who on the strength of a Trade Agreement for UK with the EU has sought his own re-election in the coming days, and perhaps, Michael Barnier, the EU negotiator stating that “Brexit is only a matter of damage limitation”. Besides, Boris has also  critics in UK. But does it worry him?

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has decided not to make any victory parades yet. He has expressed that he wants a calming influence to soothe the divisions within the UK and to unite the corners of the British Isles before any big celebration.

However, the Brexit Party of Nigel Farage is going ahead with plans to spend £100,000 for a party in Parliament Square on 31 January 2020 to mark UK’s “triumphant exit from the EU”. Citizens of Britain will eat humble pie and accept the circulation of a new Commemorative 50 Pence Coin as a token in their pockets.

This is the way Britain works history or historic occasion. No fanfare, no tamashas, no “rubbing of noses” which many around the world are generally accustomed.

It is the beginning of the end of Brexit on 31 January 2020 and the word “Brexit” will no longer be used in future in IUK.

It will now be up to Team Boris to negotiate a comprehensive Trade Agreement with the European Union in the 11 months ahead, a tough job but if there’s a will, there will be a way to do it.

Whilst Britain is leaving the EU more than 350,000 UK Citizens have opted to apply for nationality of another EU member state since the Referendum in 2016 as dual nationals, some even forfeiting their British passports to retain their EU rights.

A new beginning awaits us and the European Union in the months ahead.

Victor Cherubim