Peter Oborne
The years 1914, 1945 and 1979 were three turning points in British history. 2020 will be another. Britain leaves the European Union to forge its own destiny.
Some regard this move as lunacy. Others see it as a magnificent assertion of British national independence. In the short term, there’s an immediate problem to resolve: can Britain strike a trade deal with Europe before the end of the transitional period on 31 December 2020? Experts believe Britain can’t do this. That means exiting the EU on World Trade Organisation terms.
Will a British desire to cultivate the Gulf States and Israel cause her to overlook the brutality of the Arab regimes and the degradation of Palestinian rights?
Meanwhile, pressures are mounting on the union. Will Scotland and Northern Ireland seek to break away from Britain in the same way that Britain has departed the EU?
Another core question: will the pressure to strike independent trade deals following Brexit cause Prime Minister Boris Johnson to mute criticism of immoral foreign leaders, such as Narendra Modi in India and Xi Jinping in China, as they pursue genocidal policies against their Muslim populations?
What about the Middle East? Will a British desire to cultivate relationships with the Gulf states and Israel cause her to overlook the brutality of Arab regimes and the degradation of Palestinian rights? Johnson and his Brexiteer government assert that Britain will become an independent nation standing up for free trade and moral decency.
In 2020, we will start to learn the truth of those claims. Meanwhile, the threat of global recession looms.
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