It's rich of Boris Johnson to accuse others of dithering on Brexit

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson Photo: PA / Stefan Rousseau - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

It was rich for Boris to say we were dithering about Brexit, writes Anthony West.

I wonder if Boris Johnson was using the ‘royal we’ during his resignation speech. Near the beginning he says ‘we have dithered’ about Brexit. This is of course exactly what our unlamented ex-foreign secretary did in 2016 (shall I, shan’t I, support Cameron?) and again over his resignation after the recent Chequers weekend. Later in the speech Bojo stated ‘we have changed tack once and we can change again’. This also represents his behaviour during the whole referendum saga.

In a 2013 Telegraph article he offered this thought: ‘We would have to recognise that most of our problems are not caused by Brussels but by chronic British short-termism.’

And what about this paragraph from an unpublished article by Boris that Tim Shipman included in his book about the referendum? ‘It is surely a boon for the world and for Europe that she (Britain) should be intimately engaged with the EU. ‘This is a market on our doorstep, ready for further exploitation by British firms; the membership fee seems rather small for that access.’

These thoughts were penned in 2016, just a few days before he declared for Leave.

Anthony West

Folkestone

As Brexit divisions are laid bare in the House of Commons, there is more than a little irony that the EU and Japan have signed a huge trade deal that cuts or eliminates tariffs on nearly all goods.

The agreement covers 600 million people and almost a third of the global economy. It will remove tariffs on European exports such as cheese and wine, and Japanese auto makers and electronics firms will face fewer barriers in the European Union.

While the UK prepares to leave the EU, the world’s second largest economy representing 500 million people, we will also have to re-negotiate the around 80 trade agreements either in place or partly in place which we currently enjoy through being members of the EU.

This includes the agreement with Japan, which if we want to protect thousands of jobs at car companies like Nissan and Honda, the UK will have to replicate. If not, we could clearly see investment flowing to those countries in the single market.

Alex Orr

Edinburgh

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