Express & Star comment: Only time will tell on Boris Johnson deal
Another deadline, another front page headline.
Boris Johnson and his new cabinet colleagues have wasted no time in making a start to their era of power in Westminster.
With so many announcements and policy decisions, it’s almost as if they’ve been planning this for some years.
The Prime Minister has been keen to provide a raft of good news stories, whether that’s announcements on policing, decisions regarding better transport links in the North, the long-term future of our precision United Kingdom or more.
The jury is out on whether he will be able to deliver on all of those promises.
And having seen the country gradually move out of chronic debt, it remains to be seen whether his seemingly spend-easy plans will be affordable or will lead to structural problems for our economy.
And yet the truth about Mr Johnson and his cabinet is this: it has been elected to resolve one issue – Brexit.
For nearly three years, the country has been paralysed by self-doubt and a sense of ennui. Now, it is time to take action and move on.
David Cameron offered the people the option of leaving the European Union and they voted to do so. And whether or not such a referendum would lead to the same result now, there is no doubt that Remain would not command a convincing majority to the contrary.
Brexit is a divisive issue where there is a small margin for either side of the argument. It is time to get on and deliver.
Theresa May worked tirelessly to satisfy all sides of the Conservative Party and, latterly, the Labour Party, as she sought to build a consensus.
She was unable to do so. And so Mr Johnson is adopting a more rambunctious and straightforward approach to Brexit: he promises to get us out of Europe whatever the cost.
No Deal is very much on the cards and such figures as Dominic Raab and Michael Gove have been talking up the likelihood of that happening.
There is no doubt that we will be worse off in the short term is such an outcome occurs.
And whether the Government is setting out its stall in a bid to win negotiations or is serious about a no-deal exit remains to be seen.
In the meantime, we can but wait and speculate on whether Boris Johnson will be able to achieve the better deal that was so elusive to Theresa May.
