British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said that a majority in parliament wanted to resist calls to break up the UK.
Johnson was making a reference to Scottish nationalist lawmakers, who are demanding a new independence referendum.
“Most honorable members in this House believe we should resist the calls of those, who would break up the United Kingdom.
“And as the parliament of the United Kingdom, we should politely and respectfully defend that partnership and that union,” Johnson told parliament following his election win last week.
Britain set a hard deadline of December 2020 on Tuesday to reach a new trade deal with the EU, betting that the prospect of another Brexit cliff-edge would force Brussels to move more quickly than usual to seal an accord.
Johnson will use his control of parliament to outlaw any extension of the Brexit transition period beyond 2020 – his boldest move since winning a large majority in last Thursday’s election, and one that spooked financial markets.
“Our manifesto made clear that we will not extend the implementation (transition) period and the new Withdrawal Agreement Bill will legally prohibit government agreeing to any extension,” a senior government official said on Tuesday.
Asked if the government would legislate to rule out any extension of the transition beyond 2020, one of Johnson’s most senior ministers, Michael Gove, said: “Exactly, absolutely”.
After the United Kingdom formally leaves the EU on January 31, it enters a transition period in which it remains an EU member in all but name while both sides try to hammer out a deal on their post-Brexit relationship.
“With absolute clarity on the timetable we are working to, the UK and the EU will be able to get on with it,” Johnson’s spokesman said.
A comprehensive free trade deal would encompass everything from financial services and rules of origin to tariffs, state aid rules and fishing, though the scope and sequencing of any future deal are still up for discussion.
We should resist calls to break up UK – Prime Minister
