Brexit: Andrew Neil claims EU is ‘terrified’ of UK success in 2018
The UK-EU deal was signed late last year, but the bloc only applied the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to avoid a hard Brexit. Later this month MEPs are expected to ratify the trade pact, but EU officials have already been delayed in a vote, accusing the UK of violating the terms of the deal. The UK has already given MEPs an extension of the vote, but those ministers delayed voting on the deal after accusing the UK of violating the deal in relation to the grace period for goods moving between Northern Ireland. and Great Britain.
Now Express.co.uk readers have lost patience with the EU again, telling Prime Minister Johnson to break the EU deal if the bloc tries to delay ratification any further.
Our latest poll, which was conducted from 2.30 pm to 10 pm on Sunday, April 11, asked: “Should Boris Johnson close the deal with the EU if the bloc delays ratification again?”
A whopping 98 percent (10,234 readers) urged the prime minister to scrap the post-Brexit trade deal entirely if the EU once again delays its ratification.
The remaining two percent (211 readers) disagreed, while less than one percent (54 readers) were undecided.
Brexit news: Boris Johnson has been told to break the deal if the EU delays ratification again (Image: GETTY)
Brexit news: the EU has yet to ratify the trade deal (Image: GETTY)
Commenting on our survey, an irate Express.co.uk reader wrote: ‘Boris shouldn’t just flush the plug, he should also flush the toilet and watch the EU go down the drain.
“We need the clean break we should have had a year ago.”
A second reader commented: ‘They are trying to demand a ransom from the UK and show they have the ultimate power.’
“Break the proposed deal and we will have thanks for the WTO rules.”
READ MORE: ‘Deceived’: Independence will cost Scotland £ 26bn a year
Brexit news: a whopping 98 percent of readers supported the Prime Minister (Image: EXPRESS)
Another person said: This is probably the only solution for Northern Ireland.
“Take the whole thing off the hook and make several tailor-made deals with our neighbors, like the financial services one, including those in Dublin.
The Belfast Agreement is good enough. Let’s use that and drop the protocol.
MPs signed the trade deal in December to get it implemented as soon as possible, but the EU has yet to approve the deal.
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Brexit news: Boris Johnson signed the trade deal late last year (Image: PA)
Brexit news: UK and EU agreed to trade deal after months of talks (Image: GETTY)
Under the terms of the Brexit deal, both the UK and the EU have the power to cancel the trade pact.
This measure can be implemented a year in advance, although areas such as fisheries have their own termination clauses.
Conservative Clwyd West MP and Vice Chairman of the European Research Group David Jones has urged the government to reject any further requests to extend the deal and urged them to proceed without EU ratification.
He told Express.co.uk: ‘Why should they have an extension?
‘I mean, I remember going back to Parliament between Christmas and New Years to finish the whole process.
Brexit news: the key moments that led to the UK’s exit from the EU (Image: EXPRESS)
They have had a long time. What has happened over the last four months has shown that the EU is not really fulfilling the spirit of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Why haven’t they ratified it? They have had tons of time.
It’s not exactly like they’ve been unhinged.
“They had a lot of time to ratify it. So, you know, I think the best the government can do is say, ‘no, you’re not going to have an extension.’
Former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib also urged the government to cancel the deal with the EU amid criticism targeting a level playing field and provisions on fishing.
He said, “I think the government, and the future government, if it does not do so, should absolutely prepare to terminate the trade agreement.”
“We need to get out of the level playing field, the fishing arrangements.
“We also need to get out of contributions to the European defense fund.”
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