20 October 2019 - 17:36EU and Union flags fly above Parliament Square in central London, the UK. Picture: REUTERS
Those MPs minded to support the prime minister will therefore have to hope that he knows what he’s doing. If Brexit is to happen, I would rather have Johnson negotiating on the other side of it than Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader. But achieving an effective settlement will require a level of expertise that is largely absent from Whitehall and the current cabinet.
The agreement he has struck seems to presage a more distant trading relationship than May negotiated. If the ultimate destination is a Canada-style free trade agreement with the EU, the government’s own analysis suggests that this could reduce GDP by up to 6.7%, and that Britain might lose more in trade frictions with the EU than it would gain in new deals with other countries.
Ministers are relaxed about matching environmental standards, since they aim to exceed them, and even see them as a source of possible competitive advantage. They have agreed social and employment rules — to win votes from moderate Labour MPs.