The first will be Johnson’s Withdrawal
Agreement Bill, the law needed to make Brexit
a reality. It must become law before Jan. 31 if
Johnson is to stick to his timetable, and the
government plans to hold the first significant
vote on it Friday.
The bill commits Britain to leaving the EU on Jan.
31 and to concluding trade talks with the bloc
by the end of 2020. Johnson insists he won’t
agree to any more delays — a vow that has set
off alarm bells among businesses, who fear that
means the country will face a “no-deal” Brexit at
the start of 2021.
Trade experts and EU officials say striking a free
trade deal within 11 months will be a struggle.
European Commission President Ursula von
der Leyen on Wednesday called the timetable
“extremely challenging.”
The government also plans to pass several
other Brexit-related measures, including a new
immigration system that will be introduced after
Brexit, when EU citizens will lose the automatic
right to live and work in the U.K., and new
structures for agriculture and fishing.
Johnson also promised “an ambitious
program of domestic reform,” including a law
committing the government to spend more
on the National Health Service, which has
struggled to keep up with growing demand
during a decade-long funding squeeze by
previous Conservative governments.
There were tough-sounding announcements
on law and order, including longer sentences for
people convicted of terrorist offenses and other
serious crimes.