https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-48680303
Quote:
He was his usual charismatic self and he struck a positive note for the commercial future of the UK and the role of business as being seen as a force for good. That all went down very well.
However, when pressed on what his plan is - people were less convinced.
Mr Johnson's plan appeared to be to defer the negotiations over the problematic Irish backstop till after the UK leaves the EU on 31 October. He proposed extending the transition period till December 2021, which would give everyone enough time to negotiate a free-trade deal and come up with the technology to ensure no physical infrastructure would be required at the Irish border.
This plan is roughly the same as the one suggested by Kit Malthouse. A plan that was dismissed by the EU as it required the backstop to be replaced by a solution that does not yet exist and therefore couldn't be considered a backstop at all.
When asked whether he was prepared to leave with no deal on 31 October, he said that it was not his preferred option, we had to prepare for no-deal and if necessary go through with it.
One attendee I spoke to felt that "his heart wasn't in that comment", another said, "the look in his eyes made you question whether he really meant that".
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Update, after some reflection...
Defer negotiations until after a "no deal" exit on 31st October - the "transition period" is part of the Withdrawal Agreement, so if there is a "no deal" exit, there is no Withdrawal Agreement, so no transition period to extend...
So, in summary, BJ is going to leave with "no deal" and then use the transition period agreed in the deal he didn’t get to sort out a deal.