British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that he will "get Brexit done" and he wants to get Parliament voting before Christmas day, as revealed by cabinet office minister Michael Gove.
According to Reuters, the news came after Johnson led a sweeping victory in last week's general election that saw the Prime Minister pledging to lead a "people's government." His election win propelled him closer to his goal of getting the United Kingdom out of the European Union with a trade agreement.
Gove was confident in his speech regarding Johnson's Brexit goals. He said the vote will most likely come "in relatively short order" and the next step is to make sure Parliament passes the Withdrawal Agreement Bill before the extended British exit, which is on January 31st.
Despite Britain's optimism over the possibility of fast and amicable trade talks, the EU side seems to be more cautious. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier previously argued that negotiations will likely be demanding.
Barnier has warned that the EU will not bend to "unfair competitive advantage" should the U.K. lay out recommendations that will not benefit both sides equally.
Johnson did win last week's general election but he continues to face opposition, led largely by the Labor Party. Most of the British countrymen are also divided over whether Britain should exit the EU or not.
Labor Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said he will step down from his position following his party's devastating loss and the worst election result for the party yet since 1935. Corbyn has since apologized to people who voted for Labor members.
Amid seemingly divisive statements from the British government and Brussels, Johnson has his eyes set on adopting World Trade Organization (WTO) terms in case the two parties do not reach a deal before 2021, Quartz reported.
Economists noted that Johnson's bid for fast negotiations to flow smoothly is if Britain sets tariffs and regulations that are in line with that of the EU since the bloc has repeatedly said it will not tolerate recommendations that will put the EU at a disadvantage.
At this point, it is unclear whether the bloc or the U.K. is willing to give in to each others' demands. On the other hand, the two sides have expressed willingness to reach a deal as soon as possible.
Furthermore, former British ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers, warned that even with Johnson's 80 majority win, it will not propel him towards better negotiations with Brussels, The Guardian reported.
Rogers noted that size does not matter much when it comes to the trade deal talks. Instead, the two sides will still have to focus on meeting each other halfway and setting aside differences for a sure withdrawal agreement.
