Crowds to protest Johnson’s Brexit plans

France to run no-deal Brexit dress rehearsal: minister

LONDON, Aug 31, (Agencies): Crowds are gathering in London and other major British cities to protest Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament for part of the period before the Brexit deadline in two months.

Several thousand protesters gathered near Johnson’s residence at 10 Downing Street in central London, while others protested in in Belfast, York and others cities to show determination to block a “no deal” Brexit.

The crowds were galvanized by Johnson’s decision to shutter Parliament for several weeks when a debate about Brexit plans had been expected.

In London, they chanted: “Boris Johnson, shame on you.” Some carried signs saying: “Stop the Coup” in reference to what they say is a move that threatens democracy.

The protests have been organized by the anti-Brexit group Another Europe Is Possible and by Momentum, which is allied with the opposition Labour Party. The group is urging its membership to “occupy bridges and blockade roads.”

Organizers say protests are planned in more than 30 locations throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Johnson’s plan is also being opposed by some in Parliament who plan to introduce legislation this week to try to prevent a disorderly departure from the European Union.

Their task will be made more difficult if Johnson’s plan to shut Parliament for part of the time period before the Oct 31 Brexit deadline is carried out. Johnson’s supporters may well be able to delay any proposed legislation from being enacted in time.

The shutdown of Parliament is also being challenged in three separate court cases scheduled to be heard next week.

The prime minister, who helped lead the successful Brexit referendum campaign, says his government is actively pursuing a new deal with EU leaders and claims opposition to his policy will make it harder to wring concessions from Europe.

Elsewhere, France will test run for a month measures it has prepared for Britain’s exit from the European Union so that companies are fully prepared ahead of Britain leaving at the end of October, including if it goes with no withdrawal deal, a government minister said on Friday.

Planning

Gerald Darmanin, who is in charge of customs, met Michael Gove, the British minister in charge of coordinating “no-deal” Brexit planning, in Calais on Friday to show how France is preparing for the British departure, due to take place on Oct 31.

For one month the French authorities will act as if Brexit has occurred to make sure they are ready by the end of October, Darmanin said.

“We are getting ready for the worst,” he said. “We are preparing for a no-deal Brexit, which is the likeliest hypothesis as of today,” he said. He did not give a specific date for the start of the test run.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who took office last month, has promised to take the country out of the bloc on Oct. 31 regardless of whether a divorce deal that would smooth the way has been agreed.

Businesses have been warning of long tailbacks for lorries transporting goods between mainland Europe and Britain. The British government has said most goods from the EU will be allowed into Britain without full customs checks for at least three months if there is a no-deal Brexit.

Darmanin said some 700 extra customs officers have been drafted in and authorities will also introduce online border declarations forcing companies to announce their goods prior to arriving at the border.

“You are in Grenoble (eastern France), you are a small or mediumsized company, you export to Britain and so you now declare everything online,” he said.

When all the paperwork is done ahead of time on line, trucks will be able to move fast through the border, he said.

He said his services are ready to deal with the new paperwork, the new taxes and the additional controls that will be set up.

“We want to make things as painless as possible,” he said. The automation and digitalization of the processes will make traffic fluid near the country’s ports and there will not massive traffic jams in Calais, he said.

French authorities spent 6 million euros to build new buildings and parking lots in the town and also set up new infrastructure in other ports such as Le Havre or La Rochelle.

France is the EU’s biggest agricultural producer and exports large amounts of wine, spirits and dairy products to Britain, while relying on its neighbour’s waters to sustain its fishing industry.

Meanwhile, Ireland accused Britain of being “totally unreasonable” over Brexit on Friday, saying London had not made credible proposals to replace the Irish border backstop. But the British government insisted it had offered ways of solving the key sticking point.

More than three years after the country voted in a referendum to leave the bloc, Britain is heading towards a showdown with the European Union over its plans to leave the bloc, which is due to take place in just over two months time.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said Johnson’s team had not offered any concrete alternatives to the existing planned ‘backstop’, which the EU wants to ensure an open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.