Boris Johnson, the face of Brexit campaign in 2016, will walk through the doors of 10 Downing Street tomorrow. The Conservative Party members elected Boris Johnson the new leader of the party yesterday. The contest between the former foreign secretary, Johnson, and the present one, Jeremy Hunt, turned out to be a comfortable win for the former. Johnson’s almost double votes than those of Jeremy attest that it was an easy battle for Boris Johnson. Johnson’s victory shows Tories’ desire to elect a leader who promises to deliver Brexit.
While the contest for Tories’ leadership was the unexacting part of the battle, the hard part has already begun soon after his win. Johnson will be facing an overflowing in-tray of issues that polarised the conservatives’ opinion in the parliament. Amongst matters ranging from the UK’s involvement in the present crisis in the Persian Gulf to domestic problems regarding housing and health care, the one that will consume most of his energies in these first few months will be the issue of Brexit and reaching out a deal with the European Union (EU).
Though Johnson desires to renegotiate the deal with EU, however, he is also prepared to leave EU without reaching out one, if necessary. On the other hand, the European leaders have already ruled out any possibility of renegotiating the Withdrawal Agreement according to the US’s wishes. If Johnson goes for a no-deal Brexit on October 31, his country’s trading relationship with the EU will change radically.
Whether the UK leaves the EU with a deal or without a deal, in any case, there are no assurances that Johnson can unite a bitterly divided Parliament. Also, Brexit happening with or without a deal has one most significant disadvantage: slowing down the country’s economic growth all this time. Johnson needs to study in great detail the costs of leaving the EU with or without a deal; otherwise, a rash and hurried decision on the deal can result in his downing from 10 Downing Street.