A wild political ride

Throughout 2019, Britain was dominated by politics – and much of it a kind of politics that Britons found unfamiliar and even unsettling. 

Parliament was shut down by a new prime minister, whose decision was then overturned by the country's Supreme Court, which not only ruled his decision unlawful but also implied a lack of honesty by Boris Johnson when he sought the Queen's agreement to the move.

Nevertheless, just three months later the Conservatives romped home to an extraordinary election victory, leaving the opposition and its unpopular leader in tatters. Brexit went from being a divisive issue to becoming a certainty.

Which is where the UK finds itself now.

Heading for the (Br)exit

By 31 January, Johnson's separation deal will have been served to the European Union and the new management in Brussels will start to rally around the inevitable trade talks that should start on 1 March 2020.

In June, the British Government passes the point of no return – the summer is the last chance to ask for an extension. Johnson has already said he won't want one, but he has been known to change his mind.

Also in June, there will be a summit for the UK and EU27 members to assess progress if any at all.

By 26 November, the European Parliament will expect a trade deal, negotiated, translated, and presented ready for ratification by the end of the year.

If by 31 December this isn't forthcoming, Britain crashes out and falls back on basic World Trade Organization terms – tariffs on goods and little or no special border cooperation.

That, in short, is the planned sequence of events and there are very few, despite the promises, who think it has the remotest chance of ending any other way than badly.

Big Civil Service shake-up

Downing Street has long been contemplating an overhaul of the Civil Service so the role of Britain's beleaguered civil servants in the negotiations will be twice as complicated.

They will have to move offices and accommodate new working practices while simultaneously addressing the oncoming train of passports, European medical insurance, customs, trade bureaucracy, animal quarantine, exports through Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland, security, air traffic control and any other number of horrors.

Disunited Kingdom

At the same time, following a better showing in the 2019 election, Irish Republicans will start agitating for a break from Westminster and the controversial, potentially violent, issue of "United Ireland" will return.

In Scotland, the Scottish National Party, also encouraged by its performance in the 2019 general election, will start examining in earnest its prospects for persuading Westminster for yet another independence referendum.

The UK will start to split a little at the seams and this will require some deft handling by Downing Street, which has yet to prove itself on the field of domestic politics.

Internationally, the UK will pick itself up after three-and-a-half years of very public squabbling to find its reputation for statesmanship and diplomatic leadership tarnished on the world stage.

This is the background against which Britannia will set out to reclaim its place as a relevant and sought-after trading partner and economic power.