Boris Johnson has repeatedly made it clear that he will not request any extension beyond December 31, saying that it should be possible to negotiate a comprehensive free trade agreement by then.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister, has said today that the Government is not planning on changing the course on the current Brexit negotiations, telling reporters:
‘The transition period ends on December 31, 2020. This is enshrined in UK law.’
Despite this, the European People’s Party (EPP) have said that the current pandemic could further complicate negotiations and result in what many in Brussels regard as an unrealistically tight timetable for securing a deal.
MEP Christophe Hansen, a negotiator on the parliament’s international trade committee, said: “Under these extraordinary circumstances, I cannot see how the UK Government would choose to expose itself to the double whammy of the coronavirus and the exit from the EU single market, which will inevitably add to the disruption, deal or no deal.”
“I can only hope that common sense and substance will prevail over ideology. An extension of the transition period is the only responsible thing to do.” He said.
This warning comes as the new EU-UK joint committee, that was set up to decide the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, was set to meet for the first time, but due to social-distancing measures, could not do so in person.
David Frost, the Prime Minister’s Europe Adviser and Chief Negotiator of Task Force Europe, cannot make the meeting after showing symptoms of the coronavirus, and as we already know Boris Johnson has already been conformed to have COVID-19.
Frost’s EU counterpart, the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, will also be absent from the meeting, but is reportedly getting better after also contracting the disease earlier this month.
Opposition parties within the UK, are also arguing that the Government must now seek more time for the Brexit trade negotiations to continue, with the EU suggesting today that a further delay of up to two more years on withdrawing could be possible.
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Go with it Boris. You were elected to withdraw us from the EU and that must go ahead. Any extension beyond the December withdrawal date must not be allowed. It is the Remainers attempting to subvert the vote to Leave by using the current situation. What a nonsense. There is media and telephone to use if really necessary.