British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson
says he is becoming “impatient” with those projecting doom and gloom for
Brexit, lashing back at two former prime ministers who rebuked the government's
approach towards leaving the European Union.
Johnson made the comments
during a speech to the British Chambers of Commerce in London on Tuesday
without a direct reference to recent anti-Brexit remarks by former premiers
Tony Blair and John Major.
"You know sometimes
when I hear people moaning and droning about the state of the world, I get a
bit impatient. And when I hear them warn that the sky is about to fall on our
heads, I feel like saying, come off it sunshine," the foreign secretary
said.
Johnson stressed that
London will not shirk its responsibilities in Europe after Brexit and is
determined to continue cooperation with the European countries on security. He
added that "global Britain is a more safer Britain, a more successful
Britain, above all, a more prosperous Britain."
He described the outcome
of Britain’s divorce from the EU as “fantastic," saying Brexit presents an
“unrivaled opportunity” for a new free trade deal with the 28-member bloc.
However, he admitted that the deal could take longer than two years to
negotiate. “I
think it’s very important that as we set out on this journey we are positive
about the outcome for the very good reason the outcome will be fantastic for
this country."
“We
have every reason as a nation to be confident. Many of you were wise enough not
to believe those forecasts of the calamity [in the run up to the EU
referendum],” Johnson noted. “Since June the skies have not opened up. We are
right up there. The investment continues to flood in.”
Johnson made the remarks after Major criticized Prime
Minister Theresa May and her government's policies regarding Brexit on Monday,
saying that the British people have been misled by “rosy confidence” about “sky
high” hopes that may never be realized.
Major, who was in
office between 1990 and 1997, called on May to be “realistic,” and approach the
deal with “a little more charm, and a lot less cheap rhetoric.”
Blair, the former Labour
premier, also recently called on British people to "rise up" against
leaving the EU, accusing Britons of voting “without knowledge of the terms of
Brexit," He suggested that the public were entitled to
change their minds on the Leave vote.
Johnson was a staunch
supporter of Brexit in the run-up to the last year’s referendum, while Blair
was fiercely against leaving the union during his tenure as prime minister
between 1997 and 2007.
In a landmark referendum held on June 23 last year, nearly
52 percent of British voters, amounting to more than 17 million citizens, opted
to leave the EU, a decision that sent shock waves throughout the world. However,
recent polls show that most Britons would vote to remain in the EU if another
referendum were to be held.
Prime Minister May has
promised to begin the Brexit process in March and complete it by 2019. The EU
has warned that Britain would have less than 18 months to reach a deal to exit
the bloc once Brexit negotiations begin.
Experts have warned that
leaving the EU will severely hurt London’s position as a financial hub, unless
the UK decides to keep its access to the single EU market by loosening its
stance on immigration.
-PressTV
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