Sputnik: Will Boris Johnson be able to deliver Brexit by October the 31st?
Dan Liddicott: I think what Boris Johnson is trying to do is play both sides of the fence to be perfectly honest. He has not got the best sort of outward show of making a decent deal, as the EU keep accusing him of not having presented anything to them yet.
It really is looking like a very uncertain situation for us here, which is very disappointing because he made a very big show of being in favour of getting us out, but the biggest fear that the people I speak to have is that we are going to end up with almost the same deal Theresa May offered us, with a slight tweak and a bit of lipstick on it, and he’s hoping that people will be just so fed up, they’ll say yes.
Sputnik: Could the Conservatives lose a general election If Boris Johnson brings back Theresa May’s Brexit deal?
Dan Liddicott: It’s definitely going to erode their majority, or lack of majority now as it is. The problem is that their opposition is so very weak, so while the Tories may seem to be losing ground over this; it’s hard to see where the people are going to go to.
We expect to see a few gains maybe for the Liberal Democrats, maybe for the Labour Party, but they are not in a strong position on this either with Jeremy Corbyn not being open at all about his position, so we’ll see the Brexit Party probably taking some Tory votes, even the Libertarian Party taking some Tory votes.
Overall we’re going to be heading to one of those situations which is more common in Europe, and that is a coalition government, after any future general election.
Sputnik: Could the EU refuse to extend Article Fifty?
Dan Liddicott: The Finnish Prime Minister is really just a voice for all of the frustration that everyone feels. Brexiteers in the UK really think that this should have been done and dusted a long time ago, and it seems that the Finnish Prime Minister agrees.
The problem is; that he doesn’t speak for the whole of the EU, and there is a belief among many people that the EU is willing to do almost anything, although they make a good show, to make sure the UK stays in.
They may talk a strong game of saying “ we’ve had enough”, but in the end; I think they will still accept something of an extension, if it looks like we will remain and be able to keep paying them the money.
