Boris Johnson says UK will submit concrete Brexit proposals
October 1, 2019, 9:21 am

Boris Johnson says UK will submit concrete Brexit proposals

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that “this is the moment when the rubber hits the road,” as his government prepared at last to make firm proposals for a new divorce deal with the European Union. (File photo: AP)

Britain is due to leave the 28-nation bloc at the end of this month, and EU leaders are growing impatient with the UK’s failure to set out detailed plans for maintaining an open border between Northern Ireland and Ireland - the key sticking point to a deal.

The UK plans to send them to Brussels within days of the governing Conservative Party conference ending in Manchester, northern England, on Wednesday. Johnson said details would be disclosed “very soon.”

Johnson says Britain will leave the EU on the scheduled Oct. 31 date, with or without a deal on the terms. An agreement between the EU and his predecessor, Theresa May, was rejected three times by the UK Parliament, largely because of opposition to the “backstop,” an insurance policy designed to ensure there is no return to customs posts or other infrastructure on the Irish border.

An open border underpins both the local economy and Northern Ireland’s peace process.

UK Brexit supporters oppose the backstop because it would keep the UK tightly bound to EU trade rules in order to avoid customs checks - limiting its ability to strike new trade deals around the world.

“There is no point in doing Brexit if you stay locked in the customs union and locked in the single market with no say,” Johnson told the BBC.

He didn’t say what Britain’s proposed alternative is. So far the UK has floated the idea of a common area for livestock and agricultural products, plus largely untested “technological solutions.” The EU says that is inadequate.

Ireland’s deputy prime minister also rejected an idea floated in preliminary UK papers for customs posts a few miles away from the border.

Simon Coveney called the idea a “non-starter” and tweeted: “Time the EU had a serious proposal from the UK Govt if a #Brexit deal is to be achievable in October. NI and IRE deserves better!”

Johnson said the idea was not going to be included in the UK’s submission.

“That’s not what we’re proposing at all,” he said.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”