Leave means Leave Brexit Campaigner outside Parliament
Stop Brexit! They are outside Parliament every day, trying
to sway politicians. But they are no longer alone - another camp has started its own protest
action. Tensions are clearly running high here in
Westminster. We've had these pro-European protesters here for months. Now it´s a new
phenomenon: Just a few metres down the road we have people who are actually protesting
FOR Brexit. They're not as numerous as the pro-Europeans,
but they’re equally determined. These Brexit campaigners are afraid that politicians might
decide on a soft Brexit, keeping too many ties to the EU. They want to cut loose completely.
We can definitely survive with no deal. Almost every economic model says the GDP will
go down. Do you think it´s a price worth paying?
Ya. We are the British people. I think we can do it. Britain is a strong country. I
think we can definitely survive. Economists are not always right. They always
say things which are not right. So maybe this time they are not right as well.
Around the corner, others are encouraging motorists to show their support.
They are convinced: Even if May´s agreement doesn´t get approved, there will be some
form of cooperation between London and the EU.
We don´t have to have a deal to sell things to Germany. I have an Audi car. It´s very
old, but I have an Audi car. I will still buy Audi cars. You don´t need a deal at all.
You couldn´t imagine the heads of Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen and Audi accepting Britain
putting 100% tariffs on their cars. They turn around the Chancellor and say "we want a deal
tomorrow". Same with the French wine producers, or Italian wine producers. It´s nonsense.
There will be a trade deal, no matter what. That’s the firm belief of these Leave campaigners.
But what´s most important to them: Britain needs to get out, and fast. For them, anything
else amounts to betrayal. One of the major sticking points for many
British lawmakers opposed to Theresa May's Brexit deal is the Irish Backstop.
That's the agreement that would avoid a physical border between Northern Ireland, which is
part of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, which is and will remain a member of the EU.
The European Union is expected to publish a letter today giving new assurances on the
temporary nature of the backstop. For more I'm joined now from Brussels by my
colleague Georg Matthes. Georg, tell us more about
this letter. Georg, if Theresa May does not get this deal
through parliament, one possible outcome is that Britain seeks to delay its formal exit
from the European Union beyond the March 29th deadline, would
the EU allow that?