This is a gateway between the UK and the European continent, the Port of Dover, UK.
On New Year’s Eve 2020, the customs of the two countries are ready to wait. They are not waiting for the New Year’s bell, but at 11 o’clock that night, the time when the Brexit transition period ends and the Anglo-Europe Free Trade Agreement comes into effect.
As time passed, Britain officially withdrew from the European Single Market and the EU Customs Union, and the Brexit drama officially ended. The two sides will resume border control, vehicles and goods will need to be inspected, and the speed of crossing the English Channel will slow down.
More than a month ago, France began rehearsing for the resumption of border inspections after Brexit, resulting in a 5-mile long queue at the entrance of the Eurotunnel in the Port of Dover. But on the first day of formal Brexit, there were no vehicle delays and congestion in the Port of Dover.
Until mid-December 2020, the United Kingdom and the European Union have not yet reached an agreement on a post-Brexit trade agreement, and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still on the verge of a hard Brexit without a deal.
The “divorce case” of the century has been bumpy in the United Kingdom. Later, the “Post-Brexit Trade Agreement Negotiations” between the United Kingdom and the European Union have also been deadlocked many times, and finally ushered in a turning point on December 22, 2020. Press the accelerator button. . On the 24th, a trade agreement was reached and Johnson used it as a “Christmas gift” through a Twitter video, “for those who want to find something to read during the lazy time after Christmas lunch.”
From 2016 to 2020, the three prime ministers have been in charge and struggled several times, and finally achieved Brexit, ended the divorce cooling-off period, and returned to freedom during Johnson’s tenure. On December 31, Johnson published a New Year’s address in the “Daily Telegraph”, describing this as “a great victory across the (English) Strait” because the United Kingdom has regained control of funds, laws and waters.
However, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveny stated: “It is not something to be celebrated.” He reminded that the red tape of border inspection will disrupt trade and increase unnecessary costs and losses.
On January 1, 2021, Scotland’s Chief Minister Nicholas Stewart posted a tweet: “Europe, Scotland will come back soon.” Northern Ireland was left in the EU Customs Union and the European Single Market, and the United Kingdom The mainland is divided into different customs areas, and Northern Ireland Chief Minister Arlene Foster feels pressured.
The 11-month divorce cooling-off period is over, and the divorce certificate is signed and finally received, but the chain reaction of Brexit has just begun.
The divorce drama of the century
No divorce is more difficult than Brexit. In 4 years, this Brexit road, the three prime ministers relayed, but have different roles.
Cameron was the initiator of Brexit, but he didn’t want to leave.
Taking over Cameron’s mess, Theresa May is a promise practitioner who has more than enough energy. The second female prime minister in the history of the United Kingdom, she was ordered to be in danger, and her ruling style was much softer than that of Margaret Thatcher.
On May 24, 2019, she was dressed in red and announced her resignation. The 2-minute speech was summed up in one sentence: “I tried my best, but I can’t do it.” With wet eyes in the back seat of the car, “The Sun” printed the headline “Tearesa” on the front page of the newspaper.
“Compromise is not a dirty word. (Compromise is not a dirty word.)” Teresa’s advice, Boris Johnson obviously didn’t listen to it at first.
After taking office, the funny and tough finisher stated that he would complete Brexit before October 31, 2019, “at all costs”.
One of his famous scenes was when he unexpectedly squatted down during his campaign speech, took out a bag of salted fish and an ice pack from his feet, and held it over his head in order to mock the EU’s meaningless regulatory regulations.
Johnson’s biggest move is to ask the Queen to adjourn the parliamentary meeting for up to five weeks, and only give members who have not yet finished their summer vacation a week of reaction time. This means that it is difficult for lawmakers to prevent him from leaving the European Union without a deal.
This forced lawmakers to initiate a countermeasure and pass a bill prohibiting a no-deal Brexit on the first day after the end of the vacation. In response, Johnson also launched an early election, and the Brexit time was postponed to January 31, 2020.
The difference is that Johnson won the election. On December 20, 2019, Johnson’s version of the “Brexit Agreement” was finally passed in the House of Commons. On January 31, 2020, Britain officially left the European Union and entered an 11-month transition period. “Sometimes we feel that we will never reach the end of Brexit, but we have already done it.” Johnson said after the Brexit agreement was passed in the House of Lords.
During the transition period, EU business rules and laws still apply to the UK, and Brexit has not yet been substantially completed. The UK still needs to negotiate a new trade security agreement with the EU. Even if even the chief representative of the EU responsible for Brexit negotiations said that 11 months were not enough, the two sides still reached an agreement at the last moment before Christmas and made it effective at the turn of the new year and the old.
In 4 years, 3 prime ministers, 3 postponements, the Brexit agreement was difficult to give birth to many times, the parties inside and outside the quarrel continued, Cameron stabbed a basket and resigned and left; Teresa temporarily fills her seat, failed to soften it, and left the scene sadly Johnson has repeatedly hit the bottom line of a hard Brexit. After the election, it came back and Brexit was on the right track. It ended on schedule, avoiding the worst hard Brexit result, as well as more pain and uncertainty.
Boris Johnson held up a bag of salted fish, mocking the EU’s meaningless regulations
Johnson’s biggest move was to ask the Queen to adjourn the parliament for 5 weeks.
A political drama comparable to Shakespeare’s tragedy and comedy finally came to an end, and the Queen and Larry Cat in the prime minister’s residence watched everything.
The reason why Scotland wants to stay in the EU so strongly is that its economy is highly dependent on EU countries.
How Shakespeare would write Brexit
During the Brexit period, a Chinese journalist visited Shakespeare’s hometown and threw a question to the mayor Juliet who voted for “Brexit”: “Do you think Shakespeare will choose Brexit?”
People who write stories are naturally happy to see anecdotes brought about by outsiders, but the beauty of the “New Eden, Paradise on Earth” in “Charlie II” may also make Shakespeare’s views on the Brexit faction. Taking back our lost sovereignty” resonates.
Compared with the position, how Shakespeare will draw on the material to write about Brexit is even more fascinating.
Brexit ended, Britain is still being torn apart. Contradictions are concentrated in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The former wants independence, while the latter remains embarrassingly in the EU customs territory and the European single market.
In 2014, Scotland launched an independence referendum, and 55% of the votes were in favor of staying in the UK. In 2016, 62% of Scottish voters voted to stay in Europe.
On December 24, 2020, a breakthrough was made in the post-Brexit trade negotiations. Scotland’s Chief Minister Nicolas Sturgeon said on Twitter: “Brexit is against Scotland’s will. No agreement can compensate for Brexit. Our loss, it is time to paint the future of an independent European country.”
In May of this year, Scotland will usher in parliamentary elections, which also greatly increases the possibility of Brexit proposal.
The reason why Scotland wants to stay in the EU so strongly is that its economy is highly dependent on EU countries. Its tourism, agricultural, animal husbandry and fishery exports, and financial services all cooperate closely with EU countries. The Guardian quoted an analysis by the Scottish government as saying that according to the new trade agreement, taking fishing rights as an example, only 5 of the 13 fishing areas surrounding Scotland have increased their fish quotas.
As in 2014, an independence referendum can be proposed by the Scottish Parliament, but it still needs the approval of the British Prime Minister. On January 3, Johnson reiterated on the BBC program that he would not agree during his term. Naturally, Scotland must also consider whether the EU will accept Scotland alone, rather than wishful thinking.
The Scottish government, who wanted to leave Europe but couldn’t stay in Europe, was jealous of the “remained” Northern Ireland. But Northern Irish people also have their own troubles.
Regarding the Northern Ireland issue, the premise of the negotiations is clear: not to establish a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. This follows the spirit of the “Belfast Accord” that entered into force in 1999, which is a peace sign that puts an end to the bloody conflict between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The absence of hard borders is to reduce the risk of tensions in the region. After all, the Northern Ireland government has been shut down for three years, and it has only been one year since the restart.
Before Brexit, there was an invisible border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and it passed through roads and railways, residential areas, farms and pastures. Once the soft border becomes a hard border, customs clearance procedures or detours are troublesome and not cost-effective.
The compromise between the two parties is that the Northern Ireland region is legally part of the United Kingdom and has left the European Union. But in fact, Northern Ireland was left in the European Single Market and the EU Customs Territory, continued to abide by the EU’s trade regulations, and enjoyed the same treatment as the Republic of Ireland, which is also a member of the EU. One UK, two sets of standards.
Northern Ireland’s Chief Minister Arlene Foster said in an interview with the BBC that her party “does not want an agreement, but it is here”. Her job is to alleviate these burdens so that there are no restrictions on the exchanges between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, because the latter is the largest market in Northern Ireland.
According to the new trade agreement, only 5 of the 13 fishing areas surrounding Scotland have increased their fish quotas.
Split is destined to be a key word in Shakespeare’s drama Brexit that cannot be avoided. As early as when the Brexit referendum was launched, differences were activated and magnified, which accelerated the division of British society, and used the media to present it to the bright side and create spectacles.
On January 6, 2021, after the UK’s “Brexit” transition period ended, the British food shelves at Marks and Spencer in Paris were empty
“Vote tomorrow!” and “Regain control”, the newspaper’s entire page is a clear-cut voting slogan; during Teresa’s tenure, there were also huge differences within the parliament, between the two parties, and within the two parties. Voices and defections dragged Brexit; the “contributory” Prime Minister Johnson split the family as a result: When he was tough to Brexit, his younger brother resigned as the Minister of State; after Brexit ended, his father applied for French citizenship. All kinds of divisions are unfamiliar to people.
Consensus is scarce, conflicts of interest, and divisions deepen. There is no need to ask whether Brexit is worth it, the reality will eventually be overwhelming. The enlightenment of a torn Britain to the world is not only the division itself. The problems in Britain’s domestic and foreign affairs and social governance are not accidental.
Brexit, Trump and the populist
In June 2016, 52% of voters pointed out the course for the UK. Five months later, in the United States on the other side of the Atlantic, Americans chose Trump. The former makes Britain confused and divided, while the latter makes the world nervous and uncertain. In 2020, Britain will end Brexit on the last day, and Trump will fail to re-elect.
Like prophecies and warnings, the two superpowers once and now seem to be dealing with something, and then bid farewell.
The Brexit referendum exposed the problems of social governance and rulemaking in the European Union and the United Kingdom. In the process of fulfilling the promise of Brexit, the advantages and disadvantages of the British parliamentary system have also been fully demonstrated. In the inefficient internal friction of arguing, wrangling, and restraint, the worst result of no-deal Brexit was avoided, and all parties have gained a great history. Sense of participation.
But the limitations of populism are equally obvious. It can only find problems, but cannot solve them. The power to change is still in the hands of the elite. This is probably also the reason why Farage, the leader of the British Independence Party who lobbied for “Brexit”, chose to resign after Brexit-the task is over and it is time to leave.
If a key word for these 4 years is given, “distance” may be more appropriate than “split”.
