The early days of Boris Johnson's tenure are casting a harsh spotlight on another kind of split: the growing fault lines within the United Kingdom.
In Wales, a chicken submitted to his embrace, but politicians held him at arm’s length. And in Northern Ireland, there were rumblings of Irish unity — which could only come at the expense of its ties to the rest of the United Kingdom.
The irrepressible new leader has said that he hopes to strike a deal before the Oct. 31 deadline — but that he’s also ready to walk away with no accord. European officials, meanwhile, are warning that they won’t renegotiate the agreement reached with Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May. Since he assumed office, Johnson hasn’t yet made a visit to Brussels, where the EU is headquartered, saying he awaits signals of willingness to renegotiate. But home ground proved hardly more welcoming.
Wales, on the other hand, narrowly backed leaving the EU in the referendum. But it is heavily dependent on agriculture, and farmers are among those who are the most worried about the ramifications of a no-deal Brexit. After decades of bloody sectarian conflict, a cornerstone of the 1998 Good Friday peace accord is an open border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland, which is not. The 300-mile frontier is all but invisible. Trade flows freely, and people casually border-hop for jobs and shopping.
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