PM: Virus no bar to EU exit

BORIS Johnson has told top civil servants he will not allow the coronavirus pandemic to delay Britain’s full departure from European Union rules.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister would not extend the transition period after it is understood senior aides advised that Britain and the EU did not have the “necessary bandwidth” for tight-on-time trade talks and deal with the Covid-19 crisis.

A senior minister has also said the UK could be forced to delay but a source close to Mr Johnson said an extension “is not an option”.

Britain is obeying EU rules in a transition period until the end of this year.

The Prime Minister’s tough line follows an EU draft trade deal confirming Brussels will push for Britain to share its fishing waters and accept bloc rules on standards enforced by the European Court of Justice.

Mr Johnson says the only EU deal on the table is one like that enjoyed by Canada, Japan and South Korea, with tariff-free access but parties having their own regulatory frameworks.

Unless the EU compromises it is likely Britain’s transition will end on December 31 without a trade pact. The UK would hope instead to make deals with the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Mark Francois, chairman of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic Tory MPS, has said he has the numbers to block any compromise undermining Brexit.

Economists have warned extending the transition period would be disastrous.

Roger Bootle of Capital Economics said: “We just need to get on with this. We’ve been faffing around with regard to Brexit for heaven knows how long.”

Professor David Paton of Nottingham University said an extension would “bring yet more uncertainty into an economy that’s already reeling from lots of uncertainty”.

The Eurasia Group’s Mujtaba Rahman said he expected Britain would be forced to either sign up to a zero-tariffs deal or go it alone on World Trade Organization terms.

‘Extending the UK’S transition period is not an option’