The Boris Withdrawal Agreement PDF: An Overview
In 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum on whether to leave the European Union. The result was a narrow victory for the « Leave » campaign, and the government of Prime Minister Theresa May began negotiating the terms of the country`s withdrawal from the EU. Those negotiations were complicated and controversial, and eventually May`s government was unable to get a Brexit deal approved by Parliament.
Enter Boris Johnson. In July 2019, Johnson became the new Prime Minister, and he promised to deliver Brexit « do or die » by October 31, 2019. To that end, he reopened negotiations with the EU, and on October 17, he announced that a new Withdrawal Agreement had been reached. That agreement was published as a PDF document, and it`s commonly known as the Boris Withdrawal Agreement.
So, what`s in the Boris Withdrawal Agreement? Here are some of the key points:
1. The « backstop » has been replaced. One of the biggest controversies in the previous negotiations was the so-called « backstop » – a mechanism for avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland (part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland (an EU member state) after Brexit. Many UK politicians opposed the backstop, arguing that it would keep the UK too closely tied to the EU. In the Boris Withdrawal Agreement, the backstop has been replaced with a new arrangement that allows Northern Ireland to remain in the UK customs territory but also imposes some EU regulations on the province. This has been a contentious point, and many critics argue that it effectively creates a border in the Irish Sea.
2. Transition period. The Boris Withdrawal Agreement includes a « transition period » that will last until December 31, 2020 (though it can be extended by up to two years). During this time, the UK will continue to follow EU rules and regulations, but it will not be represented in the EU`s decision-making bodies. The transition period is intended to give businesses and governments time to adjust to the new arrangement.
3. Financial settlement. One of the key sticking points in the previous negotiations was the amount of money the UK would have to pay to settle its financial obligations to the EU. In the Boris Withdrawal Agreement, the UK agrees to pay a « divorce bill » of around £33 billion.
4. Citizens` rights. The Boris Withdrawal Agreement protects the rights of EU citizens living in the UK (and vice versa) after Brexit. This includes the right to live and work in the UK, access healthcare and education, and continue to receive social security benefits.
The Boris Withdrawal Agreement is a complex and controversial document, and there are many other details and provisions that I haven`t covered here. However, if you`re interested in the future of the UK`s relationship with the EU, it`s worth taking the time to read the full text of the agreement. Whether or not it will ultimately be approved by the UK Parliament and the EU remains to be seen, but the Boris Withdrawal Agreement is likely to shape the course of Brexit negotiations for months – and possibly years – to come.