Our friends in Britain have gotten themselves a new prime minister.  It's much too early to tell how Boris Johnson will fare, but there is no doubt we want him to succeed.  Even though we do not think Brexit (i.e. Britain leaving the European Union) was the best idea, our friends voted for it and, as such, desperately need it to go as smoothly as possible.  So far that has not been the case, to say the least.  Three years after the vote things are still in limbo.  Essentially, Parliament cannot agree on how to leave, and three potential plans for departure have been rejected. 

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A tricky part of the negotiation is how to manage the border between British Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in a way that honors the peace accord between the two (the Republic of Ireland is a member of the E.U., and will remain).  The open border between these two, due to E.U. membership, has helped keep peace but, when Northern Ireland leaves the E.U. with Britain, a new way to handle the border must be agreed upon.  The E.U.'s suggestion to this challenge is a “backstop,” whereby Britain would remain in the E.U. customs union until future trade deals and/or new border mechanisms are put into place.  However, this is kind of missing the entire point of Brexit in the first place.  In the E.U.'s scenario, Britain would be held captive to E.U. regulations without having any say as to what those regulations are.

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Plus, there are several other difficult (and time-consuming) things to sort out, like how the future relationship between Britain and the E.U. will look, and the many trade deals that have to independently be negotiated.  Nonetheless, we love you Britain!  You are our friends and allies, and 1787 will support you in any way you need.

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