Brexit deja vu as Boris Johnson marks first year in office – The Yorkshire Post says

Having come to power on the back of a promise to ‘Get Brexit Done’, and then securing the electoral mandate denied to his predecessor Theresa May, this remains a defining issue which will only become more urgent ahead of the transition period ending on December 31.

But the PM – and his de facto unelected deputy Dominic Cummings – need to remember that the priority is still a trade deal with the EU, it is what they promised in the 2016 referendum, and they need to balance hard bargaining with responsible pragmatism in order to minimise any additional economic shock.

After all, these are still unreal times – Covid-19 has changed the country’s political, economic and social landscape – and the coronavirus crisis has, in many respects, masked simmering tensions over Brexit and continued assertiveness of opponents like Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland.

And while Mr Johnson likes to portray himself as the Minister for the Union, in addition to the titles of Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, he’s still to prove himself as an unifying figure – his Commons majority is as much a reflection of the state of Labour opposition as it is about the Tory leader’s personal appeal.

As such, the past year has changed little. The original challenges, Brexit and protecting the Union, are still significant. They have just been compounded by Covid-19 and deteriorating state of the economy.

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James Mitchinson

Editor