Brexit - deal or no deal?
According to Brexit Minister Dominic Raab, an exit deal between the EU and Britain should be in place by November 21. The British parliament could then vote on the agreement before Christmas. So far, however, there has been no majority in favour of any of the proposals tabled to date. Commentators again discuss whether Britain can afford to leave the EU without a deal.
No-deal Brexit would be best for us Brits
The Conservative British MP Owen Paterson is not afraid of a Brexit without an agreement with Brussels. He writes in The Daily Mail:
“No deal, which may yet turn out to be our best bet, means no 'divorce bill' being paid to the EU for no good reason. The UK would have at least £39 billion to spend on our own priorities over the next three years, investing in transport and other infrastructure projects to promote growth. The work of Economists for Free Trade demonstrates that Brexit gains could give the Treasury a £65 billion annual dividend to spend by 2025. By eliminating tariffs, we can lower costs for businesses and consumers.”
Only a new referendum can heal the wounds
Gašper Jakovac, a lecturer on English Literature at Durham University, advocates holding a new Brexit referendum in his guest commentary piece for Delo:
“For a long time I believed that a new referendum would only further increase the polarisation of society. The populists would happily continue to accuse the 'elites', who doubt the sacred will of the people, of cynicism. Today I am convinced that only a new referendum can heal the political and social rift caused by the first referendum. This time with a vote on real proposals and without empty promises. ... Should the British parliament deliver a vote of no confidence against Theresa May, despite the early arrival of cold weather this will be a hot winter.”
Decent Britain still exists
The discordant notes in the Brexit negotiations should not tarnish the overall image of the British, The Irish Times stresses:
“In recent decades the UK has been one of the strongest supporters of multilateralism, human rights, democracy and the rule of law around the world. British governments of both left and right have been generous in support to the developing world. The spirit of the London 2012 Olympics was a self-confident outward-looking celebration of diversity. ...The disturbing developments across the Irish Sea in recent times make it all the more important to remind ourselves that the decent Britain has not gone away.”