Nigel Farage Explains Why He Thinks Boris Johnson's Deal Isn't Really Brexit
20 October 2019, 13:39
Nigel Farage responded to critics who say that he's trying to stop Brexit when it's "within our grasp".
Nigel Farage said: "A lot of people, particularly the ERG,, many of them long term eurosceptics, are now all saying 'we're going to back the deal, it's a great deal'.
"But I am struck by one thing. Nearly everybody I speak to, and even some of those commentators whose whose opinion pieces I read, haven't actually seen it, perhaps don't fully understand it.
"So what is it we're talking about? We're talking about an EU Treaty. That is what we're being asked to put into law. And attached to that is a political declaration, which sets out the framework for the next stage of negotiations, far from getting Brexit done.
"I mean, frankly, we've done the easy bit. It's the hard bit that is to come.
"What Monsieur Barnier has done is to lay out that the price of having a trade agreement in the future is that we won't get back complete control of our fisheries, is that we have to have regulatory realignment on state aid, employment law, environmental law, taxation.
I mean effectively what Barnier is trying to corral us into is a sort of associate membership of the European Union."
He continued: "No one wants Brexit done on the 31st October more than I do. I want us, of course, to come out with a clean Brexit on that date.
"And I know, I know that there are people out there criticising me saying, well how can Nigel want to stop Brexit when Brexit is within our grasp? All I'm saying is, can we please think, again, I want Brexit but not a false Brexit.
"Not one that frankly doesn't take us any further forward at all. And I can see the same arguments we've had in Parliament all this year being back in Parliament by May or June of next year.
"The timetable going ahead would be that the transition period would last up until the end of 2020. But any notice to extend it has to be given by the 1st July next year. Are we going to wrap all of this up in the next six months? I don't think there's even the faintest chance of that.
"And already, we've got a provision for the extension period to go on to the end of 2022. We're going to be trapped in this for years and years to come. And you know, the argument we're going to have starting next spring in Parliament, should we leave with no deal? Should we remain? Should we have another referendum?
"This isn't, I promise you, everybody, this isn't going to solve anything.
"Now, I am quite used to being out on a limb on things like this. You know, I remember when Mrs. May in December '17 came back from Brussels, everybody saying they were very happy with Mrs. May's agreement at the summit, indeed there was even some hilarity in newspapers.
"Isn't it funny, all the the Brexiteers agree Mrs. Mays going in the right path but Nigel Farage of course opposes it. Oh, he just wants to be relevant. Well, I'll tell you what, I was right then and I absolutely believe that I'm right now.
This, to me, is not Brexit."
