Brexit is on track

Yesterday the Brittish Parliament opened when the Queen traditionally deleivered the Queens Speech, plan of the new Government after the General Election held last week.

After the Queen, PM Johnson made his opening remarks and comment, which have made the main healdlines of media in United Kingdom today.

In his remarks Boris Johnson promised a “golden age” for Britain following in what the prime minister has called “the most radical Queen’s Speech in a generation”.

A new Brexit Bill has been presented to stop campaigners trying to scupper its progress in the courts ahead of the UK’s expected exit from the European Union in six weeks’ time.

Conservative MPs cheered yesterday as the House of Commons agreed to sit on Friday to consider legislation required to implement the Prime Minister’s deal that he hammered out with EU leaders last October.

The news came as the Government confirmed that the Department for Exiting the European Union will be disbanded at the end of next month as Brexit happens.

The announcement prompted speculation that Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove will be given a new role running an enlarged Department for International Trade in February’s expected Cabinet reshuffle.

The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill will be debated at second reading before the Commons breaks tonight for a fortnight’s Christmas break.

MPs should also agreed an accelerated timetable for the legislation which should see it pass through tall of its Commons stages by Thursday January 9.

The strengthened version of the Bill makes clear that the UK will leave the EU at 11pm on Friday January 31, rather than leaving open the possibility of quitting the trading bloc earlier than that date.

It also makes it unlawful for any minister to stop the UK leaving on Jan 31 or extending the implementation period to after Dec 31 2020.

MPs will also not be given a veto over an extension of the transition period – nor will they have to approve the future relationship treaty, despite the commitments existing in the last version of the legislation.

Officials are hoping that these changes mean the Bill – which MPs are due to vote on at around 2.30pm today – has now been designed to stop any challenges in the Supreme Court.

Geoffrey Cox, the Attorney General, said that “with goodwill” the UK and EU can agree a trade deal by the end of 2020.

He said: ” I’m very confident that with goodwill on both sides, we can succeed in getting a very good deal.

“The Prime Minister succeeded in three months in doing what I think most people felt including me was probably impossible. With will with verve, with drive and with precision in our objectives, I think we could achieve it.”

For me, as EU citizen and global Customs expert with 35 years of experience from 125 countries of Customs, borders and trade policy, there is now a choice to be made.

There are two ways to approach the biggest Customs & border challenge of our lifetime. Either we identify the challenges/problems/opportunities of Brexit & talk about how difficult it will be.

Or. We identify the challenges/problems/opportunities of Brexit related to trade & together come up with the best border management process in the world based on existing best practices taken to a new level. I know what I prefer & what side I will be on.

Sources: The Telgraph, SkyNews