Boris Johnson's Ambiguous Stance on Brexit: Ignorance or Aideship?

Boris Johnson's recent statements suggesting that it is time to put Brexit behind us might not reflect a clear plan, but rather an attempt to mask the current state of ministerial indecision and ignorance. Since the initial negotiation phase, little has been achieved, and the ongoing ministerial indecision can move to the next phase of domestic disagreements.

Ministerial Indecision and Domestic Disagreements

Back in January 2017, Theresa May stated that the UK would leave the EU's customs union and single market without providing clear alternatives or explaining the level of economic divergence. Similar to May, Johnson has made unspecified commitments, including a proposal on tariff-free trade in December 2019. Much of 2020 could be consumed by ongoing domestic disagreements as ministers and parliamentarians argue over the future UK-EU relationship.

Recall the political bickering when Theresa May launched her Chequers plan, which triggered two cabinet resignations: David Davis and Johnson himself. Despite the initial plan's failure, there has been little progress since then. The only practical decision made in the past three years has been on the placement of new or additional Irish frontier controls required by Brexit.

Irish Border Controls

Johnson has decided that new checks and controls should go on trade within the UK rather than trade within the island of Ireland. According to his own preferred timescale, from January 2021, Northern Ireland businesses will have fewer checks when trading with the EU than with the rest of the UK. This decision, however, does little to address the ongoing challenges of upholding the Belfast Agreement and the Dublin Border Region arrangements.

Political Calculations and True Intentions

Johnson's primary task is to keep the ministerial indecision, incompetence, and ignorance from public view. This was a tactic used by May in Autumn 2016 when she said there would be no running commentary. It appears that Johnson seeks to pretend that Brexit is resolved, when he still has phase 2 to do—navigating the upcoming trade deals.

Simultaneously, he knows the country remains deeply divided and pretends that it can be "healed" just by saying so. Johnson’s recent comments might be an attempt to alleviate pressure and avoid accountability. However, the lack of clear action and the persistence of unresolved issues suggest a desire to move on to other matters rather than addressing Brexit.

Factual Context and Historical Precedent

Historically, political leaders often downplay or ignore complex issues until they can be resolved. Johnson's statement might reflect a strategic move to avoid immediate confrontation. However, the ongoing indecision and the lack of substantive progress raise questions about the true intentions behind his statement.

To conclude, Boris Johnson's remarks about putting Brexit behind us might be more about masking the current uncertainties and moving towards future challenges such as trade negotiations. The lack of concrete plans and the ongoing political bickering suggest that much work remains to be done.