The 'warrior' leading Britain out of the EU

(Baonghean) - David Davis, the Secretary of State in charge of taking Britain out of the European Union (also known as the Brexit Department), is being surrounded by criticism. However, it is very unlikely that he will be shaken because, as the press once called him, "a warrior" - originating from the time David Davis was a reservist in the Royal Air Force Special Forces (SAS).

David Davis has beaten many other names to become the UK's Brexit Secretary. Photo: The Guardian

Thorough understanding of Europe

When British Prime Minister Theresa May announced her new cabinet, many people were surprised to see David Davis's name appear as Brexit Secretary, not Boris Johnson or Liam Fox - both of whom were very active in the Brexit campaign.

But a closer look at David Davis's background will help you understand why he has won the trust of the British Prime Minister.

Born in 1948, David Davis is considered a “veteran politician”. His political career officially began in 1987 when he was elected as a member of parliament. His participation in politics and his continued presence in the cabinet is considered a rare case.

The reason is that in Britain, it is very rare for someone to enter Parliament with a background as a successful industrialist as he did, and even rarer for someone to graduate from a university in a major industrial city (also known as the Redbrick University group).

Yet that is exactly the path David Davis took. Born in York, David Davis grew up with his grandparents. It was only later that he moved to London to live with his mother and attend the London Business School.

After graduating from Warwick University with a degree in science, he went on to study a year of advanced management at Harvard University in the US. After a brief stint as an insurance agent and an SAS reservist, he joined Tate & Lyle – a giant of British industry at the time.

It was also the time when Britain had just joined the European common market, and Tate & Lyle, whose main business was sugar cane production, faced fierce competition from sugar beet products grown in France.

It was this period that gave David Davis his first and most practical experience of European integration, an experience that was further enriched during his tenure as Minister for Europe from 1994 to 1997.

In this position, he established good relationships with European Union officials, including Mr. Michael Barnier – who he will face in the upcoming difficult Brexit negotiations.

"The Old Iron Fist"

David Davis's colleagues say he has a very good eye for political issues.

As Eurocentrism gained momentum in the 1990s, despite his skepticism about European integration, he played an active role in convincing his colleagues to support the Maastricht Treaty – the treaty that led to the creation of the euro.

As Britain holds its historic Brexit referendum, he has the opportunity to get back on track by siding with the Brexit camp.

Among Brexit supporters, David Davis has a view of Britain's departure very similar to British Prime Minister Theresa May, which is "better no deal than a bad deal".

Mr. David Davis (second left) leads the British delegation in negotiations with the European Union. Photo: The Sun

Because of such a tough stance, as soon as he was appointed as Brexit Minister, the press unanimously commented that "the SAS warrior will lead the way for Britain to leave the European Union".

Perhaps people associated his toughness with the temperament he acquired during his time as a reservist in the SAS special forces.

Although there are many conflicting opinions within the UK about the "hard" Brexit scenario, and the fact that the government had to make some concessions to come up with a softer Brexit scenario, Mr. David Davis is always confident that no matter what the scenario is, he will ensure the best interests for the British people and British businesses.

So when Theresa May chose him as Brexit Secretary and in charge of leading the negotiations, many people said she brought to the negotiating table “an old iron fist”!

"Inside and outside are pressed"

After two rounds of formal negotiations, the EU and the UK have yet to clarify issues such as the border with the Republic of Ireland, the rights of EU citizens in the UK, and most importantly, the “divorce bill”.

While the EU wants the Brexit bill to be worked out and agreed before any negotiations begin, the UK wants to keep the two issues separate. As a result, David Davis has been criticised for “only wanting what is in his own best interests”.

On this issue, Mr. David Davis was quite cautious when he said that the UK would accept to pay part of the "divorce bill" as requested by the EU, but it would not be at the level of 10 billion euros/year as the country is currently paying.

David Davis also faced difficulties from within the UK itself. For a long time, the British government was criticized for not announcing a specific plan for the Brexit process, and when it did, it was criticized for being too rigid, and that the scenario of Britain leaving the EU without an agreement (a “hard” Brexit) would be a disaster for the UK.

Most recently, the British government is facing accusations of not releasing 50 “secret” studies on the impact of Brexit.

He has responded to calls from the public that now is not the right time to publish the studies as it could “damage the government’s ability to negotiate the best deal for the UK”.

By the end of August, David Davis will again lead the British negotiating team into the third round of negotiations with the EU on Brexit, with many thorny issues that will really have to be fought like a "warrior".

However, he dismissed speculation that Britain would have to make major concessions, insisting that “the benefits will have to be mutual”.

In response to criticism that Britain was too ambitious when entering negotiations with the EU, he frankly stated: “I will not apologize for being ambitious, because it is in the interests of the British people.” That is David Davis’s character: there is no limit to ambition and ambition.

Thuy Ngoc