Friday, September 30th 2016

Theresa May’s declaration

This document is an extract from Theresa May’s declaration / interview after she becomes Prime Minister and settles at 10 Downing Street. The first thing she mentions is that she feels Scotland is important. Indeed, because the Scottish voted no to leave the UK in 2014, that’s why Scotland will remain part of the UK and therefore leave the EU with the UK. Theresa May wants the Scottish government to be fully involved in the negotiations because she met the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon: the meeting was excellent and constructive, so for her, Scottish people are important. As a matter of fact, she needs all the people united and all the countries in the UK united in order to fulfil her promise to get the best possible deal for her country. To that effect, she is going to be willing to listen to any option but / even if she is aware it is a true challenge for the UK.

Monday, September 26th 2016

David Cameron’s declaration

This document is an extract / extracts from David Cameron’s declaration after the results of the referendum on Europe. He says he will do everything he can as Prime Minister to steady the ship (in fact he is using the image of the boat in a storm to explain that his party (and himself) is shaken). He compares himself to a captain but he doesn’t want to lead the ship. Instead, he thinks a fresh leadership / a new leader is needed. Yet, just like Boris Johnson he thinks that they have time to decide. Nevertheless, negotiations with the EU have to begin under a new Prime Minister (supposedly elected in October) because British people voted and have decided to leave the EU. Indeed, the new PM will have to trigger article 50 to make the UK leave the EU.

Friday, September 23rd 2016.

Boris Johnson’s declaration 

This document is an extract from the declaration of Boris Johnson just after the results of the Brexit referendum. He is the one who started the Brexit but he says that there is no need for haste… He explains that Prime Minister David Cameron just said that nothing will change in the short term. He thinks / admits that it was a noble idea for its time but he also adds that it is no longer right for this country. Indeed he wants to leave the EU because his opinion is that Brussels controls too much the UK with its federal system. Therefore he works to extricate his country from such a supra national system. Furthermore he thinks the people must work to give reality to the vote.

Mary: What's next?

Listen and fill the blanks in the script

Monday, September 19th 2016.

Mary : what’s next ?

Mary is quite confident about what’s coming next because she hears people speak a lot about the consequences of the Brexit… But she has a powerful argument: The British needn’t worry because there are plenty of French people who live in the UK and they’re not going to throw them out… A lot of scare stories and rumours are being told because nobody knows what is going to happen…

Mary also mentions the value of the Pound which has dropped enormously. But according to her, it is a matter of confidence… She explains it’s not real but there are real consequences…

Then she explains the situation in the UK where business is no less successful and the UK isn’t doing any worse… so it raises the question of retaliation of Europe in the UK: Is EU going to be very, very tough?