Leader comment: No time for Johnson grandstanding in vital Brexit trade negotiations

So we have had all the flag waving, ‘celebrations’ and Boris Johnson’s bizarre ‘gong’ at 11pm to mark the UK’s exit from the EU. That’s it, it’s over. The Leavers have won and can now set about navigating a brave new future for Britain.

A digital Brexit countdown clock shows 00:00 as the time reaches 11 o'clock, as it is projected onto the front of 10 Downing Street. Picture: Getty

Only, it is not going to play out quite like that.

Nothing is over, in fact the uncertainty is only just beginning and the true impact of Brexit has merely been postponed until the end of the year.

Johnson will kick-off the truly terrifying prospect of trying to complete a complicated trade deal with the EU in less than a year today with a typically bullish speech.

He will tell the EU that he is prepared to accept border checks in a no-deal scenario, no alignment, no jurisdiction of the European courts, and no concessions to any Brussels’ demands when talks start in March.

The Prime Minister is still playing his greatest hits to his hardline Brexiteer audience. And why not, you may, as it has served him so well and indeed returned his party to Government with a thumping majority in the Commons.

But while this tactic will continue to be lapped up by the faithful, attention must now turn to securing the best possible future relationship with our European neighbours and preparing for an exit in 2021 which will cause the least damage to our economy.

Farage and co have their blue passports, we do not need to pretend any more that severing all ties is in either the UK or the EU’s interest.

While The Scotsman will never endorse a particular party, we have always been firmly pro-Remain. We believe the leaving the EU, the world’s biggest trading bloc, is a mistake which the country will come to regret. Nothing that has happened since the vote has caused us to revise this position.

However, we also accept the result of the 2016 referendum and believe it is now the responsibility of those in power to negotiate the best possible terms.

That will take compromise and co-operation, two things which Johnson’s speech today appears not to entertain.

We can only hope that this is bluster, and hides the real determination to sort this self-inflicted mess out. We do not have time to waste on goading or grandstanding if we are to secure a deal. The alternative does not bear thinking about - the 31st of December would suddenly become a very unhappy new year.