The Government has ruled out extending the Brexit process into 2021 amid calls for it to be delayed due to the Covid crisis and the deadlock in trade talks.
Opposition politicians urged the post-Brexit transition period to be extended beyond 31 December, saying it would end the current uncertainty and reduce the chances of a damaging no-deal outcome.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps responded to these threats saying this would “add fuel to the fire”.
He urged people to prepare for the changes happening anyway on 1 January.
Post-Brexit trade talks are continuing on Monday, in Brussels, after negotiators failed to reach an agreement over the weekend.
A UK government source told the BBC a deal would not be reached unless there was a “substantial shift” from Brussels and it was understood a decision could come later this week.
The UK has been following EU rules since it left the bloc on 31 January but this will stop on 31 December, when the UK will exit the EU’s internal market and customs union.
The impasse in trade talks, and the disruption at UK borders due to the Covid crisis, has led to renewed calls for the UK to reconsider extending the transition period to allow more time for a deal to be done.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the spread of a new Covid variant “demands our 100% attention” and suggested it would be “unconscionable” to compound the UK’s problems by leaving without a trade deal.
Labour’s London Mayor Sadiq Khan said fighting the coronavirus pandemic required the “full and undivided efforts of ministers more than ever before”.
“Risking the chaos and uncertainty of a no-deal Brexit was reckless even before the latest surge in Covid cases and the worrying news about this latest strain.”
Unity News Network (UNN) Staff Writer | To find out more details about our staff, please head to the About Us section on our website.
