Voices for a Brexit Transition Extension : key statements

Edited by Colin Gordon for Grassroots for Europe colinngordon@aol.comVersion r25 24/06/2020 11:00

Latest version available online at : https://ukpen.eu/reference/brexit-transition-extension-advocates/ Key resources for campaigners: http://www.onecrisisatatime.co.uk/

About this documentThis rapidly growing document is an up-to-date listing, with key quotes, of significant public statements containing evidence or arguments in favour of extending the Brexit Transition period. Some emphases have been added to some quotes.

We will continue working to make this material available in the most convenient accessible forms.

There is a Table of Contents listing and hyperlinking to each item by principal named source(s) – persons and/or organizations.

The most recently added items (since 30th May) are listed at the front of this document, in approximate reverse order by date. (Some recently added items are not new.):

NEW: Since 30 May 2020

The section of recent items is followed by a complete listing of all items to date, classified into four sections:

1. International, government, politics, law, faiths2. Business, Industry, Science and Civil Society3. Experts and commentators4. Campaigns, polls and petitions.

The document will continue to be updated frequently.

Additional materials, contributions and corrections will be most gratefully received. Our thanks to all those who have assisted so far.

We will be particularly happy to receive and include statements from local and regional organizations, businesses and citizens..

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In recent updates...

Version r25 – 23/06/2020

The clock continues to tick down.

On Monday the 22nd, as recorded on a tweeted video, Layla Moran MP introduces, on

behalf of MPs in six opposition parties a Bill to force an extension of the UK/EU

Withdrawal Agreement. The date set for its Second Reading is... July 10th.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, issues a further statement calling for an extension.

The SNP sharply rebukes Keir Starmer for his failure to speak out for an extension,

accusing him of continuing his predecessor's fence-sitting on Brexit. A tweet by Michael

Chessum of Another Europe is Possible records his own dismay and bewilderment on the

leadership's successive positions on the same topic.

Layla Moran writes to Matt Hancock asking the government to join in the EU's new

consortium to develop a COVID-19 vaccine; and to prolong the Transition period so the UK

can benefit from its results. In other statements, Liberal Democrats and pro-Europeans

challenge the government to publish updated assesments of no-deal hazards to food and

pharmaceutical supplies. One major local pro-EU group, Devon for Europe, publishes a paid

on-line newspaper feature advising the public on why and how to raise these issues with

local MPs.

Industries, some of which have recently been conspicuously silent about Brexit, are now

issuing urgent, anxious, impatient, sometimes irritated statements about the dire risks of no-

deal on top of COVID-19: the UK auto industry; UK and EU shipping; pharmaceuticals and

Scottish agriculture; Siemens UK. Why have industries gone public now: because they see a

last hope of an extension, or the more imminent threat of no deal, or both? Mike Hawes of

the auto industry's SCCM said, “Covid has consumed every inch of capability and capacity

and the industry has not the resource, the time nor the clarity to prepare for a further shock

of a hard Brexit.” Some media reports suggest that UK business believes itself betrayed by

Johnson's pre-election promises of a painless deal, and that Johnson's party knows this and

is getting nervous. The non-partisan European Study Centre publishes a sober, grave

restatement of the case for extending Transition and the severe risks and costs, to both UK

and EU, of a no-deal outcome which looks all too likely in the absence of an extension. A 2

report published this morning by UK in a Changing Europe spells out the heavy toll which

Brexit, in various versions, threatens to impose on UK manufacturing and thereby on the

wider economy – a fact which has of course been abundantly obvious for years, but can bear

restating. All Brexits are bad, no deal Brexit is worst – ditto.

Version r24 – 20/06/2020

The UK government says that the moment for deciding whether to extend the Transition has now passed and the final decision has been taken. However a week is sometimes a long time in politics.

In this update we provide, along with links to new pieces by Lord Andrew Adonis and Prof. Juliet Lodge, additional sources (both early and recent) relating to Sir Keir Starmer's and Labour's position on the extension of the Brexit Transition period. Below is an index to all relevant listed pieces on this topic in this collection.

For a persuasive critical discussion of Starmer's position and its justifications, see in particular the blog post by Prof. Chris Grey .

Many contributions assembled here from a very wide range of perspectives and stakeholders excellently make the compelling case why, even at this stage, sanity could and should prevail.

Among the best summary statements, we recommend the editorials in The Economist and Financial Times, Clare Foges and Rachel Sylvester (with data from Best for Britain) in The Times and another blog by Prof. Chris Grey.

Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab) 17/03/2020

Wes Streeting MP (Labour), Stephen Farry MP (Alliance, North Down) 18/03/2020

David Lammy MP (Labour, Tottenham) 18/03/2020

Jo Stevens MP (Labour) 31/03/2020

Geraint Davies, MP (Labour, Swansea West) 31/03/2020

Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party 05/04/2020

Mike Buckley, Labour for a Public Vote / Labour for a European Future 06/04/2020

Ian Murray MP (Labour) 15/04/2020

Prof. Tim Bale, UK in a Changing Europe 09/05/2020

LabourList (readers poll) 10/05/2020

Cornwall for Europe and 104 other local citizens' groups. (letter to Keir Starmer)

13/05/2020

Richard Corbett 18/05/2020

Paul Mason 20/05/2020

Swindon for Europe (letter to Keir Starmer) 20/05/2020

Prof. Chris Grey 29/05/2020

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London 01/06/2020

Willie Rennie, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader 03/06/2020

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Rushanara Ali MP (Labour, Bethnal Green and Bow) 04/06/2020

Alex Rowley MSP (Labour), Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrat) 04/06/2020

Julie Ward, Richard Corbett, Jude Kirton-Darling, Seb Dance, Theresa Griffin, John Howarth and others (567 signatures) (letter to Keir Starmer)

04/06/2020

Julie Ward 04/06/2020

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) 11/06/2020

Version r23 – 19/06/2020

This week has seen more dynamic action by campaigns to extend the Brexit Transition Period

and block a no-deal Brexit, across the length of the UK, from Cornwall and Devon to the South-

East to Gateshead and Perth, at the Angel of the North beside the A1, and in local press and

media across Yorkshire.

We reproduce a recent joint open letter to Keir Starmer MP from over 100 local citizens'

groups, organized by one of them, Cornwall for Europe. The same group has created and sent to

its local MPs a remarkable video compilation of testimonies from UK and EU citizens whose

lives and futures are at dire risk from a no-deal Brexit. Neighbouring Devon for Europe published

its full-page newspaper advert and open letter to local MPs across the West country.

Several statements and commentaries today cast doubt on whether UK government's current Brexit

plan – to refuse (contrary to majority public opinion) any extension of the Transition period to

better deal with COVID-19, while yielding to business pressure with a sudden U-turn to suspend

border controls on imports for six months – will prove viable and sustainable. Andrew Adonis

queries whether under WTO rules this can be the basis for a workable free-trade policy. An expert

in Tony Blair's thinktank queries whether the refusal of an extension is really final. At the same

time as public resistance grows to threatened cuts in UK food safety standards, and the Scots

Goverment announces new legislation to keep Scotland anchored to EU standards, the US

trade negotiator Robert Lighthizer has set out an aggressive bargaining position on barriers to

US farm exports. The UK meat processing industry points to major unresolved logistical

problems in delivering new veterinary checks. Security and counter-terror experts in the

House of Lords voice concerns over serious risks to vital EU-UK data cooperation in security

and policing. And as the technical and planning scandals of the government's COVID-19 response

become daily more glaring, polls indicate that public concern about a no-deal Brexit disaster is

rising – and a majority would prefer to remain in the EU.

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And from the back catalogue: this live tweet from Mike Galsworthy in April on the Government's no-extension policy is still very much to the point: https://twitter.com/mikegalsworthy/status/1251073667666079744?s=20

Version r22 – 17/06/2020

Yesterday Best for Britain published in full its large-scale new MRP poll of Red Wall Tory seats,

showing overwhelming cross-party public rejection of a no-deal Brexit and a clear demand for

either a trade agreement with the EU or an extension of the Transition period – the option which

the UK government has just 'formally' excluded. Yesterday the government performed a policy U-

turn (of school meals) in response to overwhelming public pressure – its second of this week. Will

there be others? We cite double-edged responses from the logistics and clothing industries to the

previous U-turn on post-Transition import checks – following, as they note, within days of Michael

Gove's claim that industry protests and warnings had been exaggerated. A major article in the

British Medical Journal and a government paper recently leaked in the Guardian point to

major unresolved hazards of Brexit approach for the safeguarding of public heath and local

government emergency resilience – two areas whose fragility and depletion has just been exposed

by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent statements from senior figures in Northern Iteland parties and

government (Sinn Fein and SDLP) reflect continuing acute anxieties in the province about

economic and social stability following the denial of the Assembly's request for a Transition

extension. Senior voices of pro-European opinion in politics and civil society, heard in speeches by

Lord Heseltine and Geraint Davies MP to a virtual rally of the European movement continue

to urge the Government to rethink.

Version r21 – 15/06/2020

Today, a further important new opinion poll commissioned by Best for Britain was reported by

Nick Cohen in the Spectator, showing strong support in two “Red Wall” Tory seats for an

extension of the Brexit Transition period, and serious concern about a no-deal exit and its effect on

food prices. However today also saw the EU and UK agreeing in a summit dialogue that there will

be no such extension. Could that still change, before June 30th or later? A new paper by barrister

Alfred Artley reviews the contested question of whether a later extension would be possible. A

recent reader poll by LabourList shows overwhelming support by Labour members for agreement

to an extension now. The major Left campaigning organization Another Europe is Possible

published a list of demands on the ongoing Brexit negotiations that it says will determine the UK’s

future relationship with the EU and whether there is a ‘no deal’ scenario. A cross-party group of

MPs have written to the Leader of the Commons requesting a debate on a motion and outlining

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possible legislation to authorise an extension of the Transition. Grassroots citizen groups continue

to lobby MPs and campaign through local and regional media for an extension to the Transition.

Today a new statement was issued by European Movement in Scotland. Devon for Europe have

taken a full-page advert in the Western Morning News carrying an open letter to 27 West Country

MPs, linked to a social media campaign.

Version r20 – 14/06/2020

Yesterday saw the publication of a major new opinion survey commissioned by the Health

Foundation and conducted by Ipsos Mori, extensively reported by the Independent and

Guardian. Reinforcing previous findings from Best for Britain, this found a robust majority

in favour of extending the Brexit Transition period (contrary to the Government's

recently restated intention). Commenting on the findings, the Chief Executive of the

Health Foundation, Jennifer Dixon, issued a warning on the severe health risks of a no-

deal Brexit this winter.

Statements were issued yesterday from major pro-European citizens' groups in Wales and

Greater London.

We reproduce a short summary from Wales for Europe of the recent joint interventions of the

Welsh and Scottish first ministers.

In this revision (containing 15 new items) we provide a fuller collection of Parliamentary

and Assembly interventions in Westminster (Lords and Commons), Scotland and

Northern Ireland, and other reported statements by MPs.

Version r19 – 12/06/2020

Today Mr Michael Gove informed the EU of the UK government's intention not to seek or agree to

extend the Brexit Transition period. He said that “the moment had now passed” for any further

discussion of this option.

The Financial Times reports: “European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic, who led

Brussels’ delegation on Friday’s video call, said that Mr Gove “could not be clearer”. He said the

UK minister had told him that the stance reflected “the promise given to British citizens in the

election campaign”. “I take this as a definite conclusion of this discussion,” said Mr Sefcovic,

noting nonetheless that he told Mr Gove that the EU “remains open to such an extension”

(emphasis added). https://www.ft.com/content/f92e799d-7bac-4432-bb3f-9b21a6b0af85

The last 24 hours have seen a number of powerful new interventions in this debate, by political

actors, campaigners, experts and media.

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Of particular interest is the leading article in the Economist which contains a devastating rebuttal of

all key arguments that have been used to justify the government's announcement today. Also of note

are two reports: a highly significant survey by Best for Britain showing overwhelming business

demand for an extension of the Transition period, and a report from the European Study Centre on

the (uncertain) prospects for an extension agreement later this year.

Version r18 – 11/06/2020

While the government spin machine pumps out daily and even hourly the message of its absolute

and unyielding refusal to consider extending the Brexit Transition period, today sees a record batch

of new public statements from citizens, scientists, business and industry, Europe and UK politics,

calling explictly or implicitly for... an extension the Transition period.

These range from the President of the Royal Society writing in the Daily Telegraph to reports in the

Northern Echo of a socially-distanced local citizens protest in Sunderland against the lethal threat of

a no-deal Brexit to the Nissan plant.

On the business front, a further intervention by the CBI makes emphatically clear the total

incapacity and unreadiness of British industry to tolerate a no-deal economic shock on top of the

existential crisis of COVID-19. The logistics industry vents its mounting fury at Michael Gove's

arrogant obfuscations and evasions, while evidence emerges via Yorkshire Bylines of catastrophic

delays in the delivery of sofware for new customs processes (sounds familiar?). Another Europe-

wide industry body, the food and drink sugar-using lobby CIUS, explicitly urges a transition

extension to avert the devastating impact on both sides of the Channel of a no-deal Brexit. Michel

Barnier for the first time explicitly urges the UK in the common interest to accept a Transition

extension, and agrees to talk (at least) about a separate solution for Scotland. MPs in the SDLP, SNP

and Liberal Democrats reaffirm their existing demands – and those of Scottish, Welsh and Irish

devolved governments - for a transition extension.

Version r17 – 10/06/2020

This is a rapid update containing the full text of the letter sent on 08/06/2020 to the Prime Minister

by 21 very senior UK research scientists, including two Nobel laureates.

The signatories include leading figures in a broad range of natural sciences. The letter places central

emphasis on the need for the UK to play its proper role in the world scientific response to Covid-19,

as well as the need for a strong, internationally networked science sector to power national recovery

from the pandemic. 7

It is perhaps interesting that the letter does not use the words 'Transition extension”. Instead, it is

headed 'Impact on Science Research of Brexit Transition Termination'. It clearly warns that the

impacts of such a 'Transition Termination' – if it involves a no-deal exit - will be extremely

negative for science in the UK and the UK's future role in the world. Rather than asking for a

specific decision to extent the Transition as allowed by the WA, the letter urges the government to

“take whatever time is needed” to negotiate a “productive future relationship with the EU,

including UK research and the ERA”.

This strong message should, and no doubt will be widely endorsed and amplified by the UK

scientific community in coming days.

Version r16 – 09/06/2020

This update contains several major new contributions:

Two open letters to Boris Johnson: one from the Brexit Civil Society Alliance of 55 civil

society organizations, delivering front-line services and national projects aross the UK;

the other, published in Yorkshire Bylines, from 13 pro-European local campaign groups in

Yorkshire.

a report published today by the major academic think-tank UK in a Changing Europe,

with comments by its director Prof. Anand Menon, stressing the necessity of an extension

to the transition in order to obtain a good UK/EU trade deal, and

a recent report from the Institute of Government on key business risk issues with the

Brexit protocol for Nortthern Ireland.

a strongly worded report from the powerful House of Commons Public Accounts

Committee, with comments from its chair Meg Hillier MP, warning that the government

lacks the communications capability to handle COVID-19 in parallel with the scheduled exit

from the Transition Period.

From local media we report statement by a campaign group in Swindon on local business risks in the event of no deal, and

a letter from a concerned citizen in Gateshead, on the no deal threat to the Nissan works.

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Speaking out...

This compilation is intended for the use of campaigners, researchers, media, and all citizens and

stakeholders with a potential interest in speaking out on the need to extend the Brexit transition

period and avert the threatened disaster of a no-deal Brexit on top of the ongoing disaster of the

COVID-19 pandemic.

The polling evidence also documented here confirms that a broad majority of the UK public now

accepts the urgent necessity of transition extension in a world transformed by the pandemic, and

that this majority now includes a large section of Conservative and Leave voters.

The document currently references over 300 public media sources and this number is growing

briskly day by day. Some have already been widely reported, others less so. The voices recorded

here span the political and Brexit-related opinion spectrums and wide sectors of government,

business and civil society, both UK and international.

The scope of the document is limited to the testimonies of those who have so far spoken out

explicitly in public on this issue. Many others who hold equally strong views have remained silent

in public but are likely be communicating their views via private channels, and may be considering

a public statement as time gets shorter and the stakes rise.

Charles Grant, Director of the Centre for European Reform, tweeted recently:

<<Recently spoke to a group of senior business leaders. All believed that

not extending Brexit transition would be v bad for their businesses and

the economy. But none was willing to speak out in public, for fear of

punishment by No 10. Not a healthy way to run UK.>>

https://twitter.com/CER_Grant/status/1266832207760502786

This is one of the reasons our country is in a bad place today.

(Postscript 08/06/2020. Mr Michael Gove was today reported by the logistics industry website

Loadstar as telling Commons Committee chair Hilary Benn that “Businesses are exaggerating their

concerns about the additional customs declarations needed after the UK ends the Brexit transition

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period on 31 December”.

https://theloadstar.com/businesses-exaggerating-concerns-about-post-brexit-cu stoms-claims-gove/)

For a reply, see now: https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/freight-boss-tell-gove-dont-patronise-us/

Since 2016, businesses have been under various forms of coercion by government and Brexiter

forces to remain silent about the business costs and risks of Brexit. The COVID-19 pandemic now

places businesses under a severe existential threat such that their need for government aid and

favour can act as a further powerful cause of intimidation. For people in the churches, arts, science,

academia and public life, similar pressures are known to apply.

We hope this compilation will help encourage more key actors and voices to speak out before it is

too late, for the sake of our economy, our society and our democracy.

Backgrounds and overview

Please see the following useful sources:

https://ww w.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/brexit-transition-period

h ttps://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/events/extending-brexit-transition-period

(08/04/2020)

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/implementing-brexit-securing-more-time

(30 /05/2020)

For a recent overview of the debate (and business concerns) see

https://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/extension-is-brexiters-chance-to-show.html

19/06/2020: more from Chris Grey on why business has not spoken out:

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/economics-and-finance/business-fought-for-european-

membership-in-1975-where-is-it-t oday-brexit

On June 2nd, the House of Commons Library issued a Briefing Paper by Stefano Fella, “UK-

EU futu re relationship negotiating timetable: extending the transition ”. It commented: “This

briefing sets out the timetable for the UK-EU future relationship negotiations. It provides an

overview of the debate on whether the post-Brexit transition period should be extended, and

explains the process for extending this period. ”

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About Grassroots for Europe

Grassroots for Europe is a network of over 250 local pro-EU citizens' campaign groups. Its aim is

to support the activities of all groups, regardless of affiliation, by sharing knowledge and expertise,

facilitating links between groups and their members, and backing innovative grassroots campaign

initiatives. Now that the United Kingdom has left the European Union, Grassroots for Europe

campaigns to ensure the closest possible future relationship between the the UK and European

Union.

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Table of Contents

Table of ContentsAbout this document ............................................................................................................................. 1

In recent updates... ........................................................................................................................... 2Speaking out... ............................................................................................................................... 10Backgrounds and overview ............................................................................................................ 11About Grassroots for Europe ......................................................................................................... 12

NEW: Since 30 May 2020 .................................................................................................................. 23NFU Scotland ................................................................................................................................ 23Dr Louise Gill, GlaxoSmithKline ................................................................................................. 23Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) ............................................................................................ 23Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP) .................................................................................................... 24Devon for Europe ........................................................................................................................... 25Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London ...................................................................................................... 25Mike Hawes, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) ......................................... 25Martin Dorsman, European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) ............................... 26Juergen Maier, former CEO of Siemens UK ................................................................................. 26Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) ............................................................................................ 27Michael Chessum, National organiser for Another Europe is Possible ......................................... 27Liberal Democrats, European Movement ...................................................................................... 27Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) ............................................................................................ 27European Policy Centre (18 authors) ............................................................................................. 28Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party ...................................................................................................... 29Mike Buckley Labour for a Public Vote / Labour for a European Future .................................... 29Prof. Tim Bale, UK in a Changing Europe ................................................................................... 29Swindon for Europe ....................................................................................................................... 30Paul Mason .................................................................................................................................... 31Julie Ward ...................................................................................................................................... 31Andrew Adonis .............................................................................................................................. 31Prof. Chris Grey ............................................................................................................................. 32Prof. Chris Grey ............................................................................................................................. 32Yorkshire Bylines – Judith Lodge .................................................................................................. 33Greener UK .................................................................................................................................... 33Kim Sanderson (group of concerned residents, Gateshead) .......................................................... 34Anton Spisak, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change .................................................................. 35Scottish Government, Constitution Secretary Michael Russell ..................................................... 35James Bovington ............................................................................................................................ 36Ed Davey MP, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader .......................................................................... 36Lord Ricketts (chair), Lord Rowlands, Lord Anderson, House of Lords EU security and justice sub-committee ................................................................................................................................ 37British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) ............................................................................... 38European Movement, South East Region ...................................................................................... 39Cornwall for Europe ...................................................................................................................... 40Cornwall for Europe ...................................................................................................................... 41Cornwall for Europe and 104 other local citizens' groups. ............................................................ 41Robert Gosling, Wakefield ............................................................................................................. 45

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Nichola Mallon MLA (SDLP) ....................................................................................................... 46Richard Wilson (Leeds for Europe) ............................................................................................... 47 Martin Brooks (York for Europe). ............................................................................................... 47The Loadstar .................................................................................................................................. 48Best for Britain ............................................................................................................................... 49British Medical Journal - Martin McKee et al. ............................................................................. 50Drapers Online ............................................................................................................................... 50Geraint Davies, MP (Labour, Swansea West) ................................................................................ 51Lord Heseltine ................................................................................................................................ 51Joanna Minchin (Isle of Wight) ..................................................................................................... 51Guardian - Patrick Butler and Dan Peters ..................................................................................... 52Nicola Mallon MSP (SDLP) .......................................................................................................... 52Chris Hazzard MP, (Sinn Fein) ...................................................................................................... 53Caroline Brown, Brighton & Hove Lib Dems; Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrat) ...... 53Devon for Europe ........................................................................................................................... 54Alfred Artley .................................................................................................................................. 55Ian Murray MP (Labour) ............................................................................................................... 55West Wales Chronicle .................................................................................................................... 56Jo Stevens MP (Labour) ................................................................................................................ 56European Movement in Scotland ................................................................................................... 56Another Europe is Possible ............................................................................................................ 57Layla Moran MP (Lib Dems), Clive Lewis MP (Labour), Caroline Lucas MP (Green party), Tommy Sheppard MP (SNP), and Liz Saville Roberts MP (Plaid Cymru) ................................... 59Nick Cohen; Naomi Smith, Best for Britain .................................................................................. 60John Maguire ................................................................................................................................. 61Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) ........................................................................................... 61Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) ........................................................................................... 62Julie Ward, Richard Corbett, Jude Kirton-Darling, Seb Dance, Theresa Griffin, John Howarth and others (567 signatures) .......................................................... 62LabourList ...................................................................................................................................... 63Richard Corbett .............................................................................................................................. 63Richard Corbett .............................................................................................................................. 64Margaret Ferrier MP (SNP) ........................................................................................................... 65Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab) ............................................................................................................... 65Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) ............................................................................................ 65Stewart Hosie MP (SNP) ............................................................................................................... 65Gavin Newlands MP (SNP) ........................................................................................................... 66Michael Russell MSP (Scottish National Party) ............................................................................ 66Gavin Newlands MP (SNP) ........................................................................................................... 66Lord Fox (Liberal Democrat) ........................................................................................................ 67Baroness Kramer (Liberal Democrat) ............................................................................................ 67Wales for Europe ............................................................................................................................ 67Rushanara Ali MP (Labour, Bethnal Green and Bow) .................................................................. 68David Lammy MP (Labour, Tottenham),Wes Streeting MP (Labour), Stephen Farry MP (Alliance, North Down) ................................................................................................................. 68Jeremy Miles MS, Welsh Government ......................................................................................... 69Jennifer Dixon, Health Foundation and Ipsos Mori ...................................................................... 69Stephen Dorrell, European Movement ......................................................................................... 71European Movement Greater London ........................................................................................... 71Michelle O’Neill (Sinn Féin) ......................................................................................................... 72Juliet Lodge, Yorkshire Bylines ..................................................................................................... 73Best for Britain ............................................................................................................................... 74

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Reuters ........................................................................................................................................... 74Dr David Nicholl, Liberal Democrats West Midlands, Councillor Janet King (Liberal Democrat),Bromsgrove .................................................................................................................................... 74European Policy Centre. ................................................................................................................ 75The Economist ............................................................................................................................... 76CIUS (Committee of European Sugar Users) ................................................................................ 77Venkatraman Ramakrishnan .......................................................................................................... 77Chris Hazzard MP (Sinn Féin) ....................................................................................................... 78Louise Brown (group of concerned residents, Sunderland) .......................................................... 79Pete Wishart MP (SNP), Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office ................................................ 80Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrats) ................................................................................ 80The Irish Times .............................................................................................................................. 81Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI. ....................................................................................................... 82Professor Catherine Barnard and Professor Alison Young ........................................................... 83Shane Brennan, Cold Chain Federation; Peter MacSwinney, Agency Sector Management ......... 83Louise Brown, Sunderland ........................................................................................................... 83Claire Hanna MP (SDLP, South Belfast) ....................................................................................... 84Copa and Cogeca, Celcaa and FoodDrinkEurope ......................................................................... 84Michel Barnier, European Union ................................................................................................... 85Richard Wilson, Leeds for Europe ................................................................................................. 85Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrat) ................................................................................. 86Michel Barnier, European Union ................................................................................................... 8621 leading research scientists in the UK ........................................................................................ 87Liberal Democrats .......................................................................................................................... 89Nourish Scotland ............................................................................................................................ 89UK in a Changing Europe ............................................................................................................. 89Swindon for Europe (via Swindon Adverstiser) ............................................................................ 90Yorkshire Bylines ........................................................................................................................... 90Jessica Simor QC ........................................................................................................................... 91Institute of Government/ EUobserver ............................................................................................ 91Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons. Meg Hillier MP (chair) ................................ 92Louise Brown, The Northern Echo. .............................................................................................. 92Brexit Civil Society Alliance (55 civil society organizations); Geoff Nuttall, Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action ......................................................................................................... 93The Loadstar .................................................................................................................................. 96Andrew Opie British Retail Consortium. Mark Bridgeman, Country Land and Business Association. Frances O’Grady, (TUC) .......................................................................................... 97British Retail Consortium .............................................................................................................. 98Delphine Strauss ............................................................................................................................ 98Peter Donaghy (Salmon of Data) .................................................................................................. 99Stefano Fella, House of Commons Library ................................................................................... 99Andrew Opie, British Retail Consortium. ..................................................................................... 99Amber Khan, Young Fabians ....................................................................................................... 100Ed Davey MP, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader ........................................................................ 100Senator Neale Richmond ............................................................................................................. 100Scottish National Party ................................................................................................................ 101Copa-Cogeca, Celcaa, FoodDrinkEurope (via euroactiv.com) .................................................... 101Tom Arthur MSP (SNP, Renfrewshire South) ............................................................................. 102Terry Reintke MEP (Greens) ....................................................................................................... 103Terry Reintke MEP (Greens) ....................................................................................................... 103Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing Northern Ireland ............................................ 104 Willie Rennie, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader ....................................................................... 104

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BOSS Federation (The trade association representing the UK office supplies and services industry. ) ..................................................................................................................................... 105Gillian Martin MSP (Aberdeenshire East, SNP) ......................................................................... 105Scottish Crofting Federation ........................................................................................................ 106Sir Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats ........................................................... 106Alex Rowley MSP (Labour), Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrat) ............................... 107Reuters ......................................................................................................................................... 108FTA (Freight Transport Association ) British Retail Consortium and Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association ....................................................................................................................... 108Full Fact ....................................................................................................................................... 109Philip Rycroft, former permanent secretary in the Department for Exiting the EU .................... 110David Linden MP (Glasgow East, SNP) ...................................................................................... 110Scottish National Party ................................................................................................................. 111Warwick Smith, director-general of the British Generic Manufacturers Association / Lib Dem MP Layla Moran ........................................................................................................... 111Green Party (NI) / Rachel Woods MLA (Green) ......................................................................... 112Matthew O’Toole MLA (DLP) .................................................................................................... 113Northern Ireland assembly ........................................................................................................... 113Scottish Government .................................................................................................................... 114Maree Todd MSP (SNP) .............................................................................................................. 116Richard Lochhead MSP (SNP) ................................................................................................... 116Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI ...................................................................................................... 117Nick Cohen .................................................................................................................................. 118Rachel Sylvester, The Times / Best for Britain ............................................................................ 118Stephen Dorrell, ........................................................................................................................... 119European Movement .................................................................................................................... 119The Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide/ Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce .................................................................................................................................... 119Dr Philippa Whitford MP / Scottish National Party .................................................................... 119Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London .................................................................................................... 120Kathryn Petrie and Amy Norman, Best for Britain/ Social Market Foundation .......................... 122Indirect Tax Matters .................................................................................................................... 122Irish Times ................................................................................................................................... 123Professor Alex de Ruyter, Director of the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University ..................................................................................................................................... 123UK Trade Policy Observatory. Prof. L. Alan Winters, Mattia Di Ubaldo, Palitha Konara. ........ 123Struan Stevenson, former Tory MEP ........................................................................................... 124Institute for Government .............................................................................................................. 124Chemical Business Association (CBA) ....................................................................................... 124Philip Dunne MP, Chair, Audit Committee, House of Commons ............................................... 125Institute of Export & International Trade ................................................................................... 125

1. International, government, politics, law, faiths ........................................................................... 127 (See also items listed below in section 4: Campaigns, polls and petitions.) ............................... 127Kristalina Georgieva, IMF ........................................................................................................... 127“Government sources” ................................................................................................................. 127“Government sources” ................................................................................................................. 127Terry Reintke MEP (Greens) ....................................................................................................... 128Terry Reintke MEP (Greens) ....................................................................................................... 128David McAllister MEP, ............................................................................................................... 128Christophe Hansen MEP, ............................................................................................................. 128European People's Party ............................................................................................................. 128Simon Coveney ............................................................................................................................ 129

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Senator Neale Richmond ............................................................................................................. 130Norbert Röttgen ........................................................................................................................... 130Scottish Government: Michael Russell MSP ............................................................................... 131Welsh Government ....................................................................................................................... 131Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales .................................................................................. 131Ian Blackford MP, Sir Ed Davey MP, Liz Saville Roberts MP, Caroline Lucas MP, Stephen Farry MP, Colum Eastwood MP ............................................................................................................ 131Philip Dunne MP, Chair, Audit Committee, House of Commons ............................................... 132House of Commons, Early Day Motion ...................................................................................... 132David Linden MP (Glasgow East) (SNP) .................................................................................... 133Richard Corbett ............................................................................................................................ 134Sir Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats ........................................................... 134Colum Eastwood MP (SDLP, Foyle) ........................................................................................... 135Liberal Democrat European Group .............................................................................................. 135The Liberal Democrats ................................................................................................................ 135Liberal Democrats ........................................................................................................................ 136Sir Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats ........................................................... 136Scottish National Party ................................................................................................................ 137Rachel Reeves MP ....................................................................................................................... 137Scottish National Party ................................................................................................................ 137 Willie Rennie, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader ....................................................................... 138Tom Arthur MSP (SNP, Renfrewshire South) ............................................................................. 138Gillian Martin MSP (Aberdeenshire East, SNP) ......................................................................... 139Nick de Bois ................................................................................................................................ 140Kirsten Oswald MP ...................................................................................................................... 140Caroline Voaden ........................................................................................................................... 140Struan Stevenson, former Tory MEP ........................................................................................... 140Sir David Liddington ................................................................................................................... 141Gus O’Donnell ............................................................................................................................. 141Bob Kerslake ................................................................................................................................ 142Philip Rycroft ............................................................................................................................... 142Philip Rycroft, former permanent secretary in the Department for Exiting the EU .................... 142Ivan Rogers .................................................................................................................................. 143Alexander Temerko ...................................................................................................................... 143Prof. John Bell ............................................................................................................................. 143Dr Philippa Whitford MP / Scottish National Party ................................................................... 144Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London .................................................................................................... 145Green Party (NI) / Rachel Woods MLA (Green) ......................................................................... 146Matthew O’Toole MLA (DLP) .................................................................................................... 146Northern Ireland assembly ........................................................................................................... 147Scottish Government .................................................................................................................... 148COVID-19: the case for extending the Brexit transition period .................................................. 148Maree Todd MSP ........................................................................................................................ 149Richard Lochhead MSP (SNP) ................................................................................................... 150Dr Robert Innes, Bishop for Europe ............................................................................................ 150Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons ....................................................................... 151Chris Hazzard MP (Sinn Féin) ..................................................................................................... 151Pete Wishart MP (SNP), Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office .............................................. 152Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrats) .............................................................................. 153Professor Catherine Barnard and Professor Alison Young ......................................................... 153Claire Hanna MP (SDLP, South Belfast) ..................................................................................... 153Michel Barnier, European Union ................................................................................................. 154

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Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrat) ............................................................................... 154Michel Barnier, European Union ................................................................................................. 155Margaret Ferrier MP (SNP) ......................................................................................................... 156Layla Moran MP ( Liberal Democrat) ......................................................................................... 156Stewart Hosie MP (SNP) ............................................................................................................. 156Gavin Newlands MP (SNP) ......................................................................................................... 156Michael Russell MSP (Scottish National Party) .......................................................................... 156Gavin Newlands MP (SNP) ......................................................................................................... 157Lord Fox (Liberal Democrat) ...................................................................................................... 157Baroness Kramer (Liberal Democrat) .......................................................................................... 158Rushanara Ali MP (Labour, Bethnal Green and Bow) ................................................................ 158David Lammy MP (Labour, Tottenham), .................................................................................... 158Wes Streeting MP (Labour), Stephen Farry MP (Alliance, North Down) ................................... 158Jeremy Miles MS, Welsh Government ....................................................................................... 159Ian Murray MP (Labour) ............................................................................................................. 159Jo Stevens MP (Labour) .............................................................................................................. 160Layla Moran MP (Lib Dems), Clive Lewis MP (Labour), Caroline Lucas MP (Green party), Tommy Sheppard MP (SNP), and Liz Saville Roberts MP (Plaid Cymru) ................................. 160Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) ......................................................................................... 161Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) ......................................................................................... 161Guardian - Patrick Butler and Dan Peters ................................................................................... 162Geraint Davies, MP (Labour, Swansea West) .............................................................................. 162Lord Heseltine .............................................................................................................................. 162Nicola Mallon MSP (SDLP) ........................................................................................................ 163Chris Hazzard MP, (Sinn Fein) .................................................................................................... 163Caroline Brown, Brighton & Hove Lib Dems; Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrat) .... 164Scottish Government, Constitution Secretary Michael Russell ................................................... 164Ed Davey MP, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader ........................................................................ 165Lord Ricketts (chair), Lord Rowlands, Lord Anderson, House of Lords EU security and justice sub-committee .............................................................................................................................. 166Nichola Mallon MLA (SDLP) ..................................................................................................... 166Michelle O’Neill (Sinn Féin) ....................................................................................................... 167Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) .......................................................................................... 168Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP) .................................................................................................. 169Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London .................................................................................................... 169Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) .......................................................................................... 169Liberal Democrats, European Movement .................................................................................... 169Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat) .......................................................................................... 170

2. Business, Industry, Science and Civil Society .............................................................................. 171CAOBISCO ................................................................................................................................. 171Helen Brocklebank, Walpole ....................................................................................................... 171Peter Hardwick, British Meat Processors Association ................................................................. 171Deborah Annetts, the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) ................................................ 172Bob Sanguinetti, U.K. Chamber of Shipping .............................................................................. 172Richard Burnett / Road Haulage Association (RHA) ................................................................. 172Elizabeth de Jong, Freight Transport Association ....................................................................... 173Pauline Bastidon, Freight Transport Association ......................................................................... 173Rod McKenzie, Road Haulage Association. ............................................................................... 173Robert Keen, British International Freight Association (BIFA) .................................................. 174British International Freight Association (BIFA) ........................................................................ 174Alex Veitch, Freight Trade Association. Liam Smyth, British Chambers of Commerce ............ 175European Automotive Manufacturers Association (ACEA) ....................................................... 175

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CLEPA – European Association of Automotive Suppliers .......................................................... 176British Irish Chamber of Commerce ............................................................................................ 176Customs Support Group ............................................................................................................... 177Chemical Business Association (CBA) ....................................................................................... 177Institute of Export & International Trade ................................................................................... 178The Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide/ Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce .................................................................................................................................... 178Dame Carolyn Fairbairn director general, CBI ........................................................................... 179Warwick Smith, director-general of the British Generic Manufacturers Association / Lib Dem MP Layla Moran ........................................................................................................... 180FTA (Freight Transport Association ) British Retail Consortium and Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association ....................................................................................................................... 181Copa-Cogeca, Celcaa, FoodDrinkEurope (via euroactiv.com) .................................................... 182Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing Northern Ireland ............................................ 183BOSS Federation (The trade association representing the UK office supplies and services industry. ) ..................................................................................................................................... 184Scottish Crofting Federation ........................................................................................................ 184Nourish Scotland .......................................................................................................................... 186The Loadstar ................................................................................................................................ 18721 leading research scientists in the UK ...................................................................................... 187CIUS (Committee of European Sugar Users) .............................................................................. 189Venkatraman Ramakrishnan ........................................................................................................ 190Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI. ..................................................................................................... 191Shane Brennan, Cold Chain Federation; Peter MacSwinney, Agency Sector Management ....... 191Copa and Cogeca, Celcaa and FoodDrinkEurope ....................................................................... 192The Loadstar ................................................................................................................................ 193Drapers Online ............................................................................................................................. 193British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) ............................................................................. 194NFU Scotland .............................................................................................................................. 195Dr Louise Gill, GlaxoSmithKline ............................................................................................... 195Mike Hawes, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) ....................................... 196Martin Dorsman, European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) ............................. 196Juergen Maier, former CEO of Siemens UK ............................................................................... 197

3. Experts and commentators ........................................................................................................... 198Prof. Chris Grey ........................................................................................................................... 198Allie Renison ............................................................................................................................... 198Nick Witney, The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) .......................................... 198Institute for Government .............................................................................................................. 199Institute for Government .............................................................................................................. 199David Walsh - The Star, Sheffield / Sarah Olney MP (Liberal Democrat) .................................. 199Clare Foges .................................................................................................................................. 200Denis McShane (former MP and Europe minisiter) .................................................................... 201Martin Wolf .................................................................................................................................. 201Financial Times ............................................................................................................................ 201Raoul Rouparel ............................................................................................................................ 203James Smith ................................................................................................................................ 203William Keegan ........................................................................................................................... 203Isobel Oakeshott ......................................................................................................................... 203Dmitry Grozoubinski ................................................................................................................... 203Joe Owen ...................................................................................................................................... 203Angus Armstrong,Anand Menon ............................................................................................................................. 204

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Prof. Anand Menon, Prof. Jonathan Portes / The UK in a Changing Europe ............................. 204Sam Lowe .................................................................................................................................... 205Jeremy Warner ............................................................................................................................. 205Matthew O’Toole ......................................................................................................................... 205David Henig ................................................................................................................................. 205Fabian Zuleeg and Jannike Wachowiak, European Policy Centre/Scottish Parliament .............. 205Prof. Chris Grey /Scottish Parliament .......................................................................................... 206Belfast Telegraph/ Stephen Farry MP, Alliance Party ................................................................. 206Kathryn Petrie and Amy Norman, Best for Britain/ Social Market Foundation .......................... 207Indirect Tax Matters .................................................................................................................... 207Irish Times ................................................................................................................................... 208Professor Alex de Ruyter, Director of the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University ..................................................................................................................................... 208UK Trade Policy Observatory. Prof. L. Alan Winters, Mattia Di Ubaldo, Palitha Konara. ........ 208Rachel Sylvester, The Times / Best for Britain ............................................................................ 209Nick Cohen .................................................................................................................................. 209Full Fact ....................................................................................................................................... 210Reuters ......................................................................................................................................... 211Amber Khan, Young Fabians ....................................................................................................... 211UK in a Changing Europe ........................................................................................................... 211Jessica Simor QC ......................................................................................................................... 212Institute of Government/ EUobserver .......................................................................................... 212The Irish Times ............................................................................................................................ 213British Medical Journal - Martin McKee et al. ........................................................................... 214Greener UK .................................................................................................................................. 214Anton Spisak, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change ................................................................ 214European Policy Centre (18 authors) ........................................................................................... 215

4. Campaigns, polls and petitions. .................................................................................................... 217Mark Lazarowicz, The European Movement in Scotland ........................................................... 217Opinion polls: https://whatukthinks.org/ .................................................................................... 217Opinion Poll March 29, 2020 by Focaldata for Best for Britain and HOPE not hate ....................................... 217Opinion Poll April 20, 2020 by Focaldata for Best for Britain and HOPE not hate ......................................... 217Best for Britain ............................................................................................................................. 218Naomi Smith (Best for Britain) ................................................................................................... 219Opinion Poll May 17, 2020 by Focaldata for Best for Britain and HOPE not hate ......................................... 219Labour for a European Future ...................................................................................................... 219Labour for a Socialist Europe ...................................................................................................... 219Lord Heseltine/ European Movement .......................................................................................... 220Petition to Parliament .................................................................................................................. 220450 Labour members, including former European Labour leader Richard Corbett, plus ex-MEPs Seb Dance, Theresa Griffin, Julie Ward and Jude Kirton-Darling. ............................................ 220LabourList readers survey ........................................................................................................... 220Trade Justice Movement .............................................................................................................. 221Volt.UK ........................................................................................................................................ 221Stephen Dorrell, ........................................................................................................................... 221European Movement .................................................................................................................... 221Swindon for Europe (via Swindon Adverstiser) .......................................................................... 221Yorkshire Bylines ......................................................................................................................... 221Louise Brown, The Northern Echo. ............................................................................................ 222

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Louise Brown (group of concerned residents, Sunderland) ........................................................ 223Louise Brown, Sunderland ......................................................................................................... 223Richard Wilson, Leeds for Europe ............................................................................................... 224Wales for Europe .......................................................................................................................... 224Jennifer Dixon, Health Foundation and Ipsos Mori .................................................................... 225Stephen Dorrell, European Movement ....................................................................................... 227European Movement Greater London ......................................................................................... 227Richard Corbett ............................................................................................................................ 228Richard Corbett ............................................................................................................................ 229Julie Ward, Richard Corbett, Jude Kirton-Darling, Seb Dance, Theresa Griffin, John Howarth and others (567 signatures) ........................................................ 229West Wales Chronicle .................................................................................................................. 230John Maguire ............................................................................................................................... 231Devon for Europe ......................................................................................................................... 231Best for Britain ............................................................................................................................. 232Joanna Minchin (Isle of Wight) ................................................................................................... 233Kim Sanderson (group of concerned residents, Gateshead) ........................................................ 234European Movement, South East Region .................................................................................... 235Cornwall for Europe .................................................................................................................... 236Cornwall for Europe .................................................................................................................... 237Cornwall for Europe and 104 other local citizens' groups. .......................................................... 237Robert Gosling, Wakefield ........................................................................................................... 241Richard Wilson (Leeds for Europe) ............................................................................................. 242Martin Brooks (York for Europe). .............................................................................................. 242Devon for Europe ......................................................................................................................... 243Michael Chessum, National organiser for Another Europe is Possible ....................................... 243

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NEW: Since 30 May 2020

NFU Scotland 22/06/2020 Scottish farmers warn Brexit could 'compound' Covid-19 supply chain challenges by David BolFarming leaders have warned that the decision not to extend the Brexit transition period past the end of 2020 could “compound existing problems” as the industry tackles “myriad challenges” brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. […]“NFUS [NFU Scotland] feels it is vital to highlight the future relationship negotiations with the EU as a further factor which could upset the equilibrium of the supply chain as much, if not more, as the current pandemic or other variables such as unforeseen weather events. “With all sectors of the agricultural industry already fragile, NFUS believes it is legitimate to query how the planned date of departure at the end of 2020 will compound existing problems. NFUS asks the committee toquery UK Government on where the capacity within government is to deliver an orderly exit on 31 December 2020 in terms of government’s engagement with industry.” https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18533853.scottish-farmers-warn-brexit-compound-covid-19-supply-chain-challenges/

Dr Louise Gill, GlaxoSmithKline

22/06/2020 <<No-deal Brexit would see pharmaceutical exports to EU drop by 22%, peers toldPharmaceutical exports to the EU would slump by more than a fifth if the UK exits the Brexit transition period without a deal, peers have been told.Dr Louise Gill, head of policy at GlaxoSmithKline, told the Lords EU Goods Sub-Committee that if such a scenario played out at the end of the year preliminary data showed a decline in sales to the EU of 22.5%.She said a simple free trade agreement (FTA) would be almost as bad, with a drop in exports of 22%.However, Dr Gill said that if an FTA was coupled with a mutual recognition agreement – meaning both parties would allow goods manufacturing inspections and acceptance of batch testing performed either in the UKor the EU – exports would decline by 12.6%.This would reduce the loss in exports to around two billion euro (£1.8 billion) per year, Dr Gill said.Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted he will not accept the EU’s offer of a transition period extension beyond December 31, despite trade talks making slow progress.>>https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18534548.no-deal-brexit-see-pharmaceutical-exports-eu-drop-22-peers-told/

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

23/06/2020 <<Health minister Matt Hancock has been urged to sign the UK up to an EU initiative which would fast-track a possible coronavirus vaccine.

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The European Union has launched a new scheme to work with six possible coronavirus manufacturers, allowing member states to pool resource and work together to buy sufficient supplies, should a solution become available. The EU proposes using a “large majority” of a €2.7bn emergency fund for the effort but is also committed to ensuring fair access worldwide to pandemic remedies.Britain has the option to take part in the scheme, but an EU spokesperson suggested it had not opted-in.It does, however, have the option to join the scheme up until the end of the Brexit transition period, which is due to come to an end on 31 December 2020.It follows claims it was a “political” decision not to join similar schemes to jointly procure potentially life-saving medical equipment such as ventilators and personal protective equipment. Now Lib Dem leadership hopeful Layla Moran has written to the health minister calling on the government to take part in the EU vaccine scheme and extend the transition period, to ensure the country can continue to benefitif a vaccine is developed next year.“The government must put lives before ideology and join EU efforts to secure access to a coronavirus vaccine,” Moran said.“Working together with our neighbours will increase the chances of developing an effective vaccine and deploying it around Europe and the world as soon as possible.“Opportunities have already been missed to take part in vital EU schemes that could have helped the NHScombat this pandemic by securing life-saving equipment. We must ensure those mistakes aren’t made again.”She added: “This should go hand in hand with an extension to the transition period, to ensure the UK can continue to benefit from this EU-wide scheme if a vaccine is developed next year.”Moran is standing in the contest for Liberal Democrat leader against Wera Hobhouse and interim leader Ed Davey.>>https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/matt-hancock-urged-to-sign-uk-to-eu-covid-vaccine-scheme-1-6712625

Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP)

23/06/2020 <<The SNP has urged Labour to stop "dodging its responsibilities" and join opposition parties in calling for an urgent U-turn to extend the Brexit transition period.

As the Tory government's Brexit talks continue to stall, Dr Philippa Whitford MP said the likelihood of a devastating bad deal or no-deal Brexit was increasing by the day - and Labour would not be forgiven if it chooses to "sit back and watch" while people's jobs and livelihoods are on the line.The SNP's Brexit spokesperson said Keir Starmer was failing to show leadership on the issue by pursuing a "continuity Corbyn" fence-sitting approach to the Brexit talks - and was ignoring the views of his party membersin Scotland, Wales and the Shadow Cabinet.

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On Friday, a report on Labour's election defeat warned "Labour cannot ignore the issue of Europe".>> http://www.thehighlandtimes.com/news/2020/06/23/labour-dodging-responsibilities-on-brexit-talks/

Devon for Europe 23/06/2020 ADVERTORIAL: Help extend the Brexit Transition Period by taking these steps Devon for Europe has published an open letter to West Country MPs asking them to work with all urgency to secure an extension to the Brexit Transition Period before the opportunity to do so expires on June 30.

Extending the transition period will not oblige the UK to contribute to the EU’s coronavirus rescue package, nor will it incur some of the costs that have been quoted in the media.

Anthea Simmons, spokesperson and volunteer co-ordinator for Devon for Europe, said: “The UK has left the EU. Our concern now is that every effort is made to mitigate the most severe negative impacts of Brexit, especially in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.[....].”>>

The advertortial provides links to key inormation and guidance on how to write to MPs. https://www.devonlive.com/special-features/help-extend-brexit-transition-period-4254511

Sadiq Khan, Mayorof London

23/06/2020 <<Four years ago, the UK voted to leave the EU. Four years on, we still have no sign of a deal. The PM needs to put politics aside and extend the Brexit transition period so that our businesses and public services aren’t forced to face yet another cliff edge. >>https://twitter.com/MayorofLondon/status/1275368421228765186?s=20

Mike Hawes, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)

23/06/2020 <<UK Auto calls for restart support as Covid crisis threatens one in six jobs.‘Turbocharged’ Brexit negotiations needed to deliver a comprehensive zero-tariff FTA – crucial to avoiding crippling £40bn production losses by 2025. The harsh reality of the Covid crisis for the UK’s £18.6 billion automotive sector is laid bare today by a new member survey from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealing that up to one in six jobs are at risk of redundancy. Mike Hawes [SMMT Chief Executive] said,Covid has consumed every inch of capability and capacity and the industry has not the resource, the time nor the clarity to prepare for a further shock of a hard Brexit. That’s why we do need to ‘turbo charge’ the negotiations to secure a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU that maintains tariff and quota free trade… The impact of the pandemic on manufacturing is expected to cut annual car and light commercial vehicle production volumes by a third to just 920,000 units this year. With an ambitious, tariff-free FTA in place,

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full recovery is expected to take up to five years, with output reaching pre-crisis levels of 1.35 million unitsby 2025.However, a ‘no deal’ scenario would severely damage these prospects and could see volumes falling below 850,000 by 2025 – the lowest level since 1953. This would mean a £40 billion cut in revenues, on top of the £33.5 billion cost of Covid-19 production losses over the period.3Automotive is one of the UK’s most valuable economic assets, exporting more goods than any other sector, generating billions for the economy and supporting some 168,000 high-skilled and high-paid manufacturing jobsin communities across every nation and region of the UK.>>https://www.smmt.co.uk/2020/06/uk-auto-calls-for-restart-support-as-covid-crisis-threatens-one-in-six-jobs/

Martin Dorsman, European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA)

19/06/2020 <<ECSA calls for urgent action for Brexit negotiationsThe European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) has expressed concern for the looming end of the UK’s Brexit negotiations and has called for all parties to avoid a no deal at all costs. [....]Following the plenary vote in the European Parliament on 19 June on the recommendations on the future EU-UK relations, ECSA reiterates the position of the European shipping industry and calls for urgent action regarding the avoidance of a no-deal scenario.The association has stated that shipping and the fluidity of EU-UK trade depends on a comprehensive agreement and one which should be concluded rapidly. [...]“ECSA expresses deep concern for the looming end of the negotiation period and the reported lack of progress inthe discussions so far,” commented Martin Dorsman, ECSA’s Secretary General.“The industry is adamant that a hard or no-deal scenario in January 2021 is to be avoided at all costs. Should an FTA not be achievable within such a limited timeframe, both sides should already look for pragmatic and flexible solutions to support businesses and the smooth continuation of trade, with as few barriers at the EU and UK sea borders as possible,” concluded Dorsman.>>https://www.porttechnology.org/news/ecsa-calls-for-urgent-action-for-brexit-negotiations/

Juergen Maier, former CEO of Siemens UK

22/06/2020 Tweet: <<Business has prepared for #NoDeal #Brexit twice. It now has less cash and resources due to #COVID19, so it seems obvious to me that preparing for a third time is not an option and Gove/Government need to get a damn good deal, and not blame business! >>https://twitter.com/Juergen_Maier/status/1275125488353185793?s=20- replying to Michael Gove, who said he was “worried about how few businesses have made Brexit preparations for the UK’s exit from the EU single market and customs union”. https://www.cityam.com/michael-gove-concerned-at-how-few-uk-businesses-have-made-brexit-preparations/

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Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

22/06/2020 European Union Withdrawal Agreement Extension Bill prented in the House of Commons. Date of second reading : July 10th.https://twitter.com/LaylaMoran/status/1275097456087269377?s=20

Michael Chessum, National organiser for Another Europe is Possible

22/06/2020 Michael Chessum, Another Europe is Possible<<I really can't quite believe what's happened with Labour and the Brexit transition period. We've gone from: "It's inevitably going to be extended" To: "It's bad politics to call for extension"To: [Silent disbelief] And now: "There was no way it was ever going to be extended" >>https://twitter.com/michael_chessum/status/1275037723955466240?s=20

Liberal Democrats, European Movement

22/06/2020 <<Boris Johnson told to come clean on food and medicine shortage risks from no-deal BrexitDemands for prime minister to reveal if dangers listed in ‘no-deal readiness report’ last autumn are still real- and have grown because of pandemic.[…] Now the Liberal Democrats and the pro-EU European Movement are demanding the prime minister reveal which risks remain – and whether the coronavirus pandemic has inflated them further.“As the prime minister continues to oppose extending the transition period, he must at least be honest about what this means for our country,” said Ed Davey,the acting Lib Dem leader.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-brexit-trade-talks-no-deal-food-medicine-shortage-a9578991.html

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

19/06/2020 <<Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat): It’s not too late to stop a no-deal Brexit - public health depends on it.Over the last two years, precious time and resources have been diverted from preparing for a pandemic to planning for no-deal. Even in February of this year, when Covid-19 was rapidly beginning to spread around theworld, ministers appeared far more concerned with Brexit than this deadly disease. The government cannot afford to make the same mistake again when people’s lives and livelihoods are on the line. The response to the coronavirus must come first. That means putting people before politics and extending the transition period. Pharmaceutical companies have warned the UK could face shortages of vital medicines if talks with the EU fail, as global supplies remain so low it would be difficult to replenish our stockpiles in time. The business community has also made it clear that many firms simply won’t survive if they have to cope with no-deal on top of the damage done by the coronavirus. To any competent and compassionate government, these stark warnings would set alarm bells ringing.

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Yet even the threat of medicine shortages has not been enough to make the government change course. Instead, Boris Johnson has stubbornly refused the EU’s offer of an extension and is insisting on crashing Britain out at the end of this year come what may. This would be a monumental act of national self-harm. People and businesses have suffered enough this year. The last thing we need is the chaos of a no-deal Brexit this winter, particularly with the threat of a second wave of coronavirus.Fortunately, it is not too late to stop it. I am working closely with like-minded MPs across parliament to force the government to stop putting ideology ahead of the national interest and extend the transition period. MPs have not been consulted on Brexit since before the pandemic hit in January. Given the scale of the damage done by coronavirus and the significant public support for an extension, parliament must now be givena say.>>https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/dangers-of-a-no-deal-brexit-1-6706546

European Policy Centre (18 authors)

21/06/2020 <<Towards an ambitious, broad, deep and flexible EU-UK partnership? European Policy Centre, June 2020The case for extending the transition period in light of COVID-19 [Jannike Wachowiak – Junior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre Dr Fabian Zuleeg – Chief Executive and Chief Economist, European Policy Centre]There is an urgent case for extending the transition period. The time to do so is, however, running out. Under the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement, an extension of either one or two years must be agreed before 1 July 2020. Even before COVID-19 struck Europe, the UK’s decision to negotiate the future relationship within 10 months presented an immense challenge for the negotiating teams. Now, by insisting on this timeline despitethe disruptions caused by the pandemic, the UK has increased the likelihood of a no-deal outcome. On the political level, there is little bandwidth to focus on the Brexit negotiations. With attention elsewhere, it is very difficult to achieve any substantive progress in the politically sensitive areas – such as fisheries, governance, the level playing field – where compromises will be necessary to strike a deal. In addition to struggling with the fallout from COVID-19, businesses are asked to prepare for the effects of Brexit (e.g. new migration rules, see Chapter 11; border controls; disruptions to supply chains). This must be done without much knowledge on what exactly the new rules will be, or whether there will even be a deal. Most importantly, COVID-19 has changed the broader context in which the UK will leave the transition phase. The UK is exiting the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union amidst a global economic crisis. The UK economy will experience an unprecedented economic downturn, with forecasts predicting its worst recession in 300 years. The shock of a ‘hard Brexit’, no matter its actual scale, will exacerbate the economic situation further and reinforce disruptions. Extending the transition period by either one or two

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years could prevent such an accumulation of economic shocks. The UK government’s red lines in the negotiations, paired with its adamant refusal to even contemplate an extension, increase the likelihood of not concluding a deal at all. The question of how the UK will leave the transition period – with or without a deal, in good or bad faith – has wider implications for the long-term partnership between the EU and UK.>>https://wms.flexious.be/editor/plugins/imagemanager/content/2140/PDF/2020/Towards_an_ambitious__broad__deep_and_flexible_EU-UK_partnership_WEB.pdf

Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party

05/04/2020 <<Starmer declined to say it was inevitable that the government needed to extend the Brexit transition period beyond the end of this year, saying only that ministers should “extend it if it’s necessary to do so”, but he said the hard deadline had been an error.“I’ve always said I think that 12 months is going to be very tight,” he said. “I think the government made a mistake putting dates into legislation. It’s nearly always a mistake to put a date into legislation, because you don’t know what’s going to happen.”>>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/05/keir-starmer-promises-build-balanced-shadow-cabinet https://labourlist.org/2020/04/sunday-shows-starmer-gives-first-interview-as-labour-leader/

Mike Buckley Labour for a PublicVote / Labour for a European Future

06/04/2020 <<Mike Buckley, director of Labour for a Public Vote / Labour for a European Future Keir Starmer’s next challenge after the Covid crisis: Stopping a hard BrexitUnless the Government changes tact then come January 2021 all the predictions made about a hard Brexit will come into play.The urgency of opposing a hard Brexit has only grown with the arrival of COVID-19. In the short term that means getting behind the demands of business for an extension to the transition period, but longer-term it means opposing a hard Brexit itself.>>https://leftfootforward.org/2020/04/keir-starmers-next-challenge-after-the-covid-crisis-stopping-a-hard-brexit/

Prof. Tim Bale, UKin a Changing Europe

09/05/2020 <<Brexit warning: How Keir Starmer will use 'crunch point' to demand EU trade deal extension by Paul WithersSir Keir Starmer may wait for a potential "crunch point" later this year before the new Labour Party leader tries to push Boris Johnson into extending the transition period with the European Union beyond December 31.Tim Bale, Deputy Director at the UK in a Changing Europe think tank and Politics Professor at the Queen Mary University of London, warned the issue of Remain or Leave has quickly lost significance, and Labour must now be prepared to push Mr Johnson into extending the post-Brexit transition period beyond 2020. He told this website: "Labour must ditch its Remain plan to win back voters. Nobody understands this better

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than Starmer."However, do expect a Labour push to extend the transition period in the coming months."They will want to remain in the Single Market and Customs Union for as long as possible.”>>(Advice or scare story?)[However see also: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/why-isnt-starmer-calling-to-extend-transition/ ; https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2020/06/what-keir-starmer-over-brexit-extension ]

Swindon for Europe 20/05/2020 <<Readers' letters: Appeal to Starmer over Brexit extensionBrextension - an open letter to Keir StarmerWe are writing to you as representatives of a number of cross-party groups that are extremely concerned about the government’s refusal to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period.At a time when we face unprecedented economic and social challenges as a result of the coronavirus, including the certainty of a deep economic recession and massive job losses, it is unconscionable that the government proposes to exacerbate this terrible situation by jeopardising our trading relationship with the world’s largest freetrade area.It’s clear that neither the UK government nor the European Union is currently able to devote adequate time or attention to the complex negotiations needed to secure a workable trade agreement. It thus looks very likely that the government’s artificially imposed deadline will lead to the hardest of Brexits on 31 December, with no agreement – or an inadequate one – in place.For many businesses that are already in extreme difficulty, from farms to manufacturers, this would mean bankruptcy and closure. For the UK and a whole, it would mean an even deeper recession, when the Bank of England is already predicting a 14 per cent drop in GDP – worse than has been seen in 300 years.Failure to secure an adequate agreement would also have very serious repercussions for the very large numbers of EU citizens living in the UK and for UK citizens resident in EU countries. [...] This situation is causing great stress and anxiety, not least among the many EU citizens in the UK who are currently proving so vital as key workers in the NHS, in care homes and in many other roles.We were pleased to see that you raised the need to extend the transition period in your first interview as Labour leader, but are concerned that since then this issue appears to have been largely eclipsed by the coronavirus crisis. And, as you will know, the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement stipulate that the UK–EU Joint Committee must sign off any extension before 1 July. Missing this window would make it very difficult forany extension to be agreed. We are now in mid-May, so this could hardly be more urgent.We hope that you will lose no time in working with other parties in Parliament to put all possible pressureon the government to request an extension. The jobs and wellbeing of so many people depend on this, and – atthis of all times – the UK cannot afford to see more self-inflicted and unnecessary harm inflicted on its

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citizens and those of our EU neighbours.

Swindon for Europe.>>https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/18463675.readers-letters-appeal-starmer-brexit-extension/

Paul Mason 30/12/1899 <<How his ‘Brexit’ project explains Johnson’s dithering on Covid-19[...] Starmer has said that rejoining the EU is off the agenda for the foreseeable future. Given his strategic task is to reconnect the party with communities where there is deep xenophobia and Euroscepticism, that is sensible.But in a world order facing disintegration, geographical facts prevail. The EU is the UK’s main trading partner; after nearly half a century of participation, European integration is imprinted on its laws, customs and culture; and, as the world becomes insecure, its security relies on the security of Europe. So long as the EU coheres as a single market, Britain’s safest place is within its orbit.Starmer’s internal critics, on the socially conservative ‘blue Labour’ wing and on the economic-nationalist left, want the party to forget about Brexit. Unfortunately that’s not possible.Labour needs to call immediately for a one-year delay to Brexit, and for the repudiation of the UK’s February 2020 negotiating document, in favour of a comprehensive trade agreement leaving it in close partnership with the EU, while keeping migration as open as possible.>>https://www.socialeurope.eu/how-his-brexit-project-explains-johnsons-dithering-on-covid-19

Julie Ward 04/06/2020 <<Reckless and irresponsible by Julie Ward[Paul] Mason predicts that “a hard Brexit on December 31st could turn a sharp, six-month recession into a two-to-three-year slump”, and lays down the gauntlet to Keir Starmer to call for a one-year extension and repudiate the government’s existing negotiating text. For my part, I am working closely with Labour for a Socialist Europe, gathering signatures for an open letter encouraging Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and the NEC to support the call for a major extension. Unprecedented times call for boldness and we must therefore put Brexit on the back burner. >>https://www.chartist.org.uk/reckless-and-irresponsible/

Andrew Adonis 19/06/2020 <<Britain has just budged on BrexitBack in Brexitland, the real story isn’t Boris Johnson’s theatrical refusal to apply for an extension. It was his announcement last week that there would be no customs regime for imports from the EU when the current ‘stand-still’ ends in December and customs tariffs and inspections become liable. This is untenable. It either leads in the autumn to a last-minute extension of the stand-still ‘transition period’, called by some other name. Or it leads to a quick economic deal which, because this is the only

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deal which the EU will do quickly, maintains the status quo on things that matter to the EU (low or zero tariffs on physical exports and imports between the EU and Britain) while allowing Britain greater leeway to depart over time from EU single market regulatory rules on business and financial services and to tax them. So from now on, ignore the language of ‘extension’, ‘deal’ and ‘no-deal’. [...]The reason why there has to be a deal on these lines, or some renamed extension, is very simple. A hard border for physical goods, involving customs duties and checks, simply can’t be introduced by the British state in time for the end of December [...]It doesn’t matter whether Johnson and Cummings want to have such a border. If they tried to decree it, it wouldn’t happen because there isn’t the administrative and organisational capacity in Whitehall to make it happen amidst Covid-19. [….]Without customs border infrastructure there can’t be ‘no deal’, because ‘no deal’ can’t be implemented. But equally, under international trade law there can’t be zero EU tariffs by unilateral British decision unless all equivalent tariffs to other countries are also reduced to zero. This undermines future trade negotiations with the US, China and the rest of the world, since we will already have surrendered our negotiation position.“Overall this is the most extreme position that Johnson could take, and I cannot quite believe he means it,” says Alan Riley, an EU trade expert at the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank. “That’s why I think I am missing something or this is a bluff.” He isn’t missing something and this is a bluff.>>https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/andrew-adonis-brexit-deal-1-6706523

Prof. Chris Grey 20/03/2020 <<"Extending the transition period: Johnson’s chance to lead”>>An early, excellent and compelling statement of the case for extension.

Prof. Chris Grey 29/05/2020 <<Starmer’s stance on extension [Starmer] continues to reject demands to call for an extension, saying instead that the government has promised to negotiate a deal by the end of the year and should be held to account on this. This is smart politics, for now, because it prevents Johnson presenting extension as a Labour demand and a remainer trick – and in the process reactivating the Brexit culture war as a party political divide – rather than a rational response to the force majeure of the coronavirus crisis.

But it is now reaching its limits, for several reasons. First, just as a matter of principle, it would be wrong to treatsomething as crucial as extension as a taboo topic simply for fear of being dubbed a ‘remainer party’. Second, there is a large constituency, by no means confined to erstwhile remainers, who want extension and whose voice

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Labour should represent. Third, for this reason there are also political advantages in calling for extension because it will appeal to many voters and, also, could position Labour as more business-friendly than the Tories. At the very least it would consolidate Starmer's credentials as a serious-minded pragmatist. And, finally, because it would set down a marker for the future – if Starmer fails to call for an extension in the coming month he will have made Labour to a degree complicit in the consequences of non-extension in a not dissimilar way to how its support for triggering Article 50 made it complicit in Brexit itself.

So, if Starmer continues to be as sure-footed an opposition leader as he has been so far, there are good reasons ofprinciple and tactics to call for extension soon. He would be aided in this if some loud business and civil society voices prepared the ground by doing the same – providing some juicy quotes for use at PMQs in much the same way as he has so effectively used those from medical experts to puncture Johnson’s coronavirus bluster - just as they would be aided in speaking out were he to do so. There really is very little time to be lost in this, and the ongoing coronavirus crisis should not blind Labour, or anyone else, to the fact that what happens in the next month as regards TP extension is going to shape what happens to Britain for years.>>>>https://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/not-moving-on-not-going-away.html

Yorkshire Bylines – Judith Lodge

19/06/2020 <<"Bxllocks to the red, white and blue” by Judith LodgeTt’s very tempting to ask Antony Gormley how much paint would be needed to cover his 65-foot tall Angel of the North with its wingspan as wide as a Boeing 767. And how much it’d cost to slap red, white and blue on it. No doubt a lot less than the £900,000 for tarting-up the prime minister’s plane.Things clearly aren’t fine and dandy up north. Last week it was Nissan, this week there’s the closure of De La Rue, the printing firm that lost the contract to print the tacky black British Brexit passports last year, andnow the one to print bank notes. Little wonder then that the locals are beginning to wonder whether Brexit promises are all they were cracked up to be.The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) stated that Brexit would affect the North East the worst. CBI director general, Carolyn Fairburn, said it was impossible for businesses to prepare for Brexit in the middle of a pandemic. The report by think tank Best for Britain into red wall seats, published this week, painted a similarly dismal picture of job losses, decline and serial crises.A spokesperson for the Angel of the North protest that took place today, Kim Sanderson, said it would make far more sense to deal with one crisis at a time: “Whichever way you voted in the EU referendum, it was not to lose your job or be worse off.” […] >>https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/bxllocks-to-the-red-white-and-blue/

Greener UK 03/06/2020 <<Greener UK online event: should we extend the transition period for the sake of the environment?

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GreenAllianceUKOn 3rd June 2020, we hosted a webinar reflecting on the current state of EU negotiations and discussed what needs be done before the end of the transition period to ensure the environment remains protected.Chair: · Shaun Spiers, chair, Greener UK Panellists: · Jill Rutter, senior research fellow, UK in a Changing Europe · David Baldock, senior fellow, Institute for European Environmental Policy · Maria Lee, professor of law, University College London Did you know Green Alliance has a podcast? https://greenalliancepodcast.simpleca... #GAevent #GreenerUKevent #EUnegotiations #Environment https://www.green-alliance.org.uk/ https://greeneruk.org/ >>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCzMTdI2Vk0

Kim Sanderson (group of concernedresidents, Gateshead)

19/06/2020 <<Protest held at Angel of the North against no-deal Brexit after De La Rue blow by Sonia SharmaFollowing news that more than 250 jobs are at risk at De La Rue in Gateshead, campaigners are calling onthe Government to extend the Brexit transition periodA protest was held at the Angel of the North urging the Government to extend the Brexit transition period.The company announced plans to axe the site’s banknote and UK passport printing operations - two years after it lost the contract to print the new UK passports, having printed them for 10 years.In a controversial move, the Government assigned future printing of the new blue passports to Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto - work that has since been outsourced to Poland.Unite the union, which represents the workforce at the factory,is urging the company to reconsider the move, which puts 255 skilled workers at risk of redundancy.On Friday, concerned residents arrived at the Angel of the North and displayed a number of placards and posters to get their message across.They highlighted fears about the potential for more job losses in the region and damage to the economy as a result of a no-deal Brexit. The group called for the Government to extend the transition period to stop a no-deal scenario.Spokesperson Kim Sanderson said that, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the North East would be the worst affected if the country left Europe without a deal and many businesses would not be able to prepare for it during the coronavirus crisis. She added: "The Government officially confirmed last week that they will not be seeking an extension to the transition period. This greatly increases the risk of a no-deal Brexit."Whichever way you voted in the EU referendum, it was not to lose your job or be worse off. In the middle of the Covid-19 outbreak, it would be much more sensible to extend to prevent such a no-deal scenario. Let

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us only deal with one crisis at a time."

Those who attended the protest said they were following social distancing rules at all times. A similar demonstration was held outside the Sunderland Nissan plant last week.>>https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/nissan-campaigners-gather-outside-sunderland-18401331

Anton Spisak, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

18/06/2020 <<The UK’s No-Extension GambleBy Anton Spisak, Tony Blair Institute for Global ChangeNot all options for extending the transition period are closedThis week, Boris Johnson, UK prime minister, has formally told EU leaders that the UK won’t ask for an extension to the transition period. He said that the UK will leave the Brexit transition period “whatever happens”– a deal or no deal – at the end of this year. But there are good reasons to think that this might not be the UK's final word on the extension just yet. [….]Boris Johnson will undoubtedly insist that his decision against the extension is final. But the prime minister and his advisors would be best off keeping all the options in his back pocket. It is far from certain that, if it really came to it, his voters would support no-deal in the midst of a recession. Nor is it clear that his gamble will actually deliver a deal. >>h ttps://institute.global/policy/uks-no-extension-gamble

Scottish Government, Constitution Secretary Michael Russell

19/06/2020 <<Parliament asked to back European Union Continuity BillPowers to ‘keep pace’ with EU law in devolved policy areas.New powers and measures to align devolved Scots law with those in the European Union after the end of the Brexit transition period have been published.The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Bill will allow or provide for continuity of provision that would otherwise be lost on withdrawal from the EU.The Bill focuses on three headline areas: Part one, provides for a discretionary power which will enable Scottish Ministers to align devolved Scots

law with EU legislation following the end of the transition period In Part two, provisions are made regarding domestic replacement arrangements for EU environmental

principles and governance. This will ensure that there continues to be guiding principles on the environment in Scotland following the end of the transition period

A new governance body, Environmental Standards Scotland, will be established to replace the system of environmental governance provided by the institutions of the European Union which will be lost at the

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end of the transitionConstitution Secretary Michael Russell said:“The overwhelming majority of people in Scotland have consistently said they want to be in the EU and, despite Brexit, we are doing everything we can to stay close to our European partners.“It is completely unacceptable that Scotland has been taken out of the EU but this Bill will enable us, in devolved areas at least, to ‘keep pace’ with Europe, when appropriate and practicable to do so.“It is required as a direct result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and is more urgent because of the UKGovernment’s reckless refusal to ask for an extension to the Brexit transition period.>>https://www.gov.scot/news/parliamen t-asked-to-back-european-union-continuity-bill/

James Bovington 18/06/2020 Refusing Brexit extension will come back to haunt Boris Johnson: Yorkshire Post LettersFrom: James Bovington, Church Grove, Horsforth, Leeds.<<So Boris Johnson and Dom[inic Cummings have decided that, despite the pandemic, Britain’s best interests are served by pushing on with Brexit so that the transition period will end at the end of this year.For all her many faults, Theresa May cared about what she repeatedly described as the ‘precious union’ of the various countries of the United Kingdom. Boris clearly couldn’t care less.Hence his decision not to request an extension to transition and his arrogantly short-sighted refusal to listen to the elected representatives of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish people, as voiced through their respective governments and parliaments, may well return to haunt the Conservative administration. [….]Scotland and Northern Ireland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU. All the polls suggested that leave-voting Wales changed its mind. I would like to see a new federal arrangement within the UK but don’t want passports at Penrith or customs at Carlisle. Like their leader the Conservatives seem no longer to care.However many people may care very much that self-imposed exile from our major allies means that we are unable to participate in the EU programme to fund the advance purchase of vaccines for coronavirus, and that leaving Euratom could complicate cancer treatment as the UK is withdrawing from an agreement facilitating the movement of isotopes.>>https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/refusing-brexit-extension-will-come-back-haunt-boris-johnson-yorkshire-post-letters-2887388

Ed Davey MP, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader

12/06/2020 <<ED DAVEY: Government putting ideology over national interest by delaying Brexit extension billThe government has delayed a Lib Dem bill to secure an extension to the Brexit transition period. Acting leader ED DAVEY says it is still putting ideology over the national interest at a time of crisis.“Today should have been the second reading of the Liberal Democrats’ Bill to guarantee an extension to the Brexit transition period. With just a week to go until the meeting between Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and Boris Johnson, and just over two weeks to go until the deadline for extending the transition

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period, the timings were already incredibly tight.Now, the government have ensured this Bill and others like it will not progress until July. By which time it will be too late. The government’s stubborn refusal to accept an extension to the transition period is inexcusable. I don’t know why I’m surprised. They have taken this ideological, dangerous approach the whole way through the last four years. Yet at a time when businesses across the UK are already collapsing, people are losing their jobs, and the medicine stockpiles are already run dry, I really did expect better.Those who voted Leave and Remain alike have called for the transition period to be extended. It makes no sense to anyone for us to crash out of the EU without a deal in place, but it is particularly illogical at a time when we are still struggling with a global pandemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and caused the biggest economic hit for generations.Surely any government of any political leaning would put the national interest first at this time of crisis. The warnings from business and medical organisations have been stark. Just this week, the UK was warned by the pharmaceutical industry that some stockpiles of medical supplies have been “used up entirely” by the virus. It is clear that these stockpiles cannot be built back up quickly: not if the UK fails to secure a deal with theEU and not as we head into what is already going to be a difficult time of year for the healthcare sector. The government seem to be in denial about the reality of the situation. As things stand, at the time the transition period ends the NHS will also be battling with the usual winter flu crisis, on top of Covid-19.This would be concerning enough if it looked like a deal was in place. But given the results of the latest round ofnegotiations, the prospect of a no-deal is looming large. As Barnier said following what was the fourth round in these latest talks, there has been no significant progress on key areas of Brexit and the situation cannot go on indefinitely.>>https://www.theneweuropean.co .uk/top-stories/ed-davey-on-brexit-transition-period-extension-1-6697419

Lord Ricketts (chair), Lord Rowlands, Lord Anderson, House ofLords EU security and justice sub-committee

<<Failure of Brexit talks could lead to terrorism intelligence delays, say LordsReal-time access to EU police databases has not yet been agreed in the negotiations by Lisa O'CarrollThe UK risks losing its real-time access to a watchlist of suspected terrorists if it does not strike a comprehensiveBrexit deal on justice and security, peers have been told.The concerns of the policing consequences of a collapse in Brexit talks were raised by members of the Lords EU security and justice sub-committee during questioning of the Home Office minister James Brokenshire. Fears were also raised over the future of the European arrest warrant (EAW) system and the prospect of the UK becoming a haven for foreign criminals trying to evade justice from EU member states.The Labour peer Lord Rowlands described the situation prior to the EAW system as “hopeless” as it allowed fugitives to roam freely in countries without extradition treaties. […]His concerns came as an ally of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, the MEP Nathalie Loiseau,

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warned that a crash out from the EU without a deal would mean weaker ties on security. [...]Lord Anderson pointed out police in Dover could currently use handheld devices to get real-time information on passengers from the Schengen Information System (SIS II) database allowing suspects to be “questioned before they could simply melt away”. “It rather sounds as though the legalistic approach that’s being taken to SIS II [in Brexit talks] means that we’re not going to have real-time access to data,” said Anderson, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation in the UK between 2011 and 2017. [...]Lord Ricketts, a former diplomat and the chair of the committee, questioned the “coherence” of the UK’s Brexit approach. It was looking for a Canada-style agreement in trade but a specially close arrangement in security and justice, “an equivalent position to that which perhaps Schengen countries have, or EEA countries have like Norway, Iceland but no other country”, he said. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/16/failure-of-brexit-talks-could-lead-to-terrorism-intelligence-delays-say-lords>>

British Meat Processors Association (BMPA)

18/06/2020 <<UK meat suppliers fear loss of EU exports following Brexit transition by Kevin White

Time was now running out to safeguard future export orders, the BMPA said

Suppliers are looking to safeguard future export orders to the EU.

UK meat suppliers will start losing EU orders from September, unless the government clarifies what export and tariff arrangements will be in place after the end of the Brexit transition period, the British Meat Processors Association has warned.

With the government last week formally notifying the bloc it would “neither accept nor seek any extension to thetransition period” beyond 31 December, time was now running out to safeguard future export orders, the BMPA said.

Orders, particularly from European retailers, were planned three to four months in advance to allow for pricing, barcoding and any promotions that need to go on the packaging, said BMPA CEO Nick Allen.

But despite the government confirming last week it would adopt a phased introduction to border controls for EU imports into the UK, no assurances had yet been given to those looking to export from the UK to the EU, hepointed out.

“There is a worrying lack of information coming out of government on the crucial issues of formal approval of the UK to export meat products to the EU and the approval of our meat plants,” Allen warned.

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“If this process is delayed till the autumn there will be huge uncertainty about our status from 1 January and UK exporters will not be able to agree forward contracts.”

There were also “deep concerns” over the provision of an army of extra veterinary inspectors that would be required by law as soon as the transition period ended, he pointed out.

“These additional vets will need to sign-off consignments of EU bound meat products. Currently nobody is taking responsibility for these issues and a lack of certainty could see export orders grind to a halt.”

https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/brexit/government-formally-rules-out-brexit-transition-extension/645312.article>>

https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/meat/uk-meat-suppliers-fear-loss-of-eu-exports-following-brexit-transition/645471.article

European Movement, South East Region

18/06/2020 <<South East Region Branch Chairs' Letter: The Government must extend the EU transition period

The Government appears on course to crash us out of the EU negotiations at the end of this month.

The resulting No Deal Brexit crisis will be on top of the catastrophic health, social and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Government’s own reports, a No Deal Brexit will lead to shortages of medicine and food, regulatory obstacles, bureaucratic delays and costly tariffs at borders, and a further 9.3% lossin GDP.

The Government cannot deal with two major crises at once. It must focus on defeating the coronavirus pandemic, not compound it with an unnecessary Government-made crisis.

We, European Movement branch chairs across the whole SE Region of the UK from Oxford to Kent, urge every citizen to contact their MP and County Councillor to demand the Government focus on one crisis at a time, and to legislate for a two year extension to the EU transition period which would secure the best deal for Britain.

Signed:

Peter Burke, Chair, Oxford For EuropeJonathan Buisson, Chair, North Hampshire for EuropeHelen Gibbons, Chair, European Movement SussexE Stanley, Coordinator, MoVEM - Mole Valley European Movement LeatherheadJonathan Harris, Chair, East Kent EM

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Joanna Minchin, Chairman, Islanders for Europe, the Isle of Wight Branch of the European MovementIan Berridge, Chair, Hampshire European MovementIan Morris, Chair, Canterbury for EuropeDavid Rowan, Chair, Portsmouth and Chichester for EuropeJohn Gaskell, Chair, SW Surrey branch of European Movement

[Added 19/06/2020:]

Petra Kopp, Secretary, Brighton & Hove for EU>>

Cornwall for Europe

11/06/2020 CORNWALL FOR EUROPE SEND POWERFUL VIDEO LETTER TO MPS URGING EXTENSION TO BREXIT TRANSITION PERIODWith time rapidly running out for the UK government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period, and no sign of progress towards a trade deal, campaigning group Cornwall for Europe has sent a powerful video letter to Cornwall’s MPs urging them to ask Boris Johnson’s government to act before it is too late. The EU agreed the end of June as the deadline for an agreement on outline terms of Brexit but no progress has been madein talks, another casualty of Covid 19. The video includes heartfelt pleas from a range of people in Cornwall whose families, businesses and livelihoodswould be jeopardised by a “no deal” exit from Europe in December.[….....]“A report for Cornwall Council this week shows that as many as 72,800 jobs are at risk in Cornwall from the impact of the coronavirus. It is absolutely unbelievable that the government is now greatly increasing the likelihood of even more harm to people’s jobs and livelihoods by refusing to request an extension to the Brexit transition period. Negotiations are clearly not making progress, and the prospect of a hugely damaging no-deal atthe end of December is now very real indeed.

“MPs need to think about the consequences of this to their constituents, many of whom are already facing an extremely very grim outlook. If they put ideology above the well-being of people in Cornwall, they will never beforgiven.”

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https://youtu.be/7pta8K55XBkhttps://cornw allforeurope.org/2020/06/11/cornwall-for-europe-send-powerful-video-letter-to-mps-urging-extension-to-brexit-transition-period/ >>

Cornwall for Europe

11/06/2020 <<EXTEND THE BREXIT TRANSITION PERIODTime is running out for the government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period. The deadline to dothis is the end of June, and given the lack of progress in negotiations it now looks almost certain that the UK willbe out of the Single Market with no trading arrangement with the EU if no extension is requested. This would be catastrophic for many businesses that are already reeling from the impacts of the coronavirus. And it would also put a huge question mark over the rights of the many EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens in Europe, making their lives even more difficult than they are now.We want to send out a powerful message about what this would mean for people in Cornwall. To do this, we have joined together with pro-EU groups across the country to send a letter to Sir Keir Starmer and made an open ‘video letter’ consisting of short video clips of people talking about what no-deal would mean for them, their businesses and their families to send to Cornwall’s MPs.CORNWALL FOR EUROPE SEND POWERFUL VIDEO LETTER TO MPS URGING EXTENSION TO BREXIT TRANSITION PERIOD https://cornwallforeurope.org/2020/06/11/cornwall-for-europe-send-powerful-video-letter-to-mps-urging-extension-to-brexit-transition-period/LETTER TO SIR KEIR STARMER https://cornwallforeurope.org/letter-to-keir-starmer/ >>

Cornwall for Europe and 104 other local citizens' groups.

13/05/2020 <<LETTER TO SIR KEIR STARMERPUT PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT TO EXTEND THE BREXIT TRANSITION PERIODWe have written to Sir Keir Starmer, with representatives of more than a hundred other cross-party groups in the UK and several EU countries, together representing more than 375,000 members and active supporters. The text of the letter is below and we are adding names of signatories from other groups as we receive them.

Dear Sir Keir,We are writing to you as representatives of a number of cross-party groups that are extremely concerned about the government’s refusal to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period.At a time when we face unprecedented economic and social challenges as a result of the coronavirus, including the certainty of a deep economic recession and massive job losses, it is unconscionable that the government proposes to exacerbate this terrible situation by jeopardising our trading relationship with the world’s largest freetrade area.

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It’s clear that neither the UK government nor the European Union is currently able to devote adequate time or attention to the complex negotiations needed to secure a workable trade agreement. It thus looks very likely that the government’s artificially imposed deadline will lead to the hardest of Brexits on 31 December, with no agreement – or an inadequate one – in place.For many businesses that are already in extreme difficulty, from farms to manufacturers, this would mean bankruptcy and closure. For the UK and a whole, it would mean an even deeper recession, when the Bank of England is already predicting a 14% drop in GDP – worse than has been seen in 300 years.Failure to secure an adequate agreement would also have very serious repercussions for the very large numbers of EU citizens living in the UK and for UK citizens resident in EU countries. At present, these people continue to have full rights as underwritten by the Court of Justice of the European Union. But as the Public Law Project pointed out in February, it is by no means clear what the situation for them would be in the event of an end to thetransition period on 31 December – particularly if no comprehensive agreement has been reached with the EU. This situation is causing great stress and anxiety, not least among the many EU citizens in the UK who are currently proving so vital as key workers in the NHS, in care homes and in many other roles.We were pleased to see that you raised the need to extend the transition period in your first interview as Labour leader, but are concerned that since then this issue appears to have been largely eclipsed by the coronavirus crisis. And, as you will know, the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement stipulate that the UK–EU Joint Committeemust sign off any extension before 1 July. Missing this window would make it very difficult for any extension to be agreed. We are now in mid-May, so this could hardly be more urgent.We hope that you will lose no time in working with other parties in Parliament to put all possible pressure on the government to request an extension. The jobs and wellbeing of so many people depend on this, and – at this of all times – the UK cannot afford to see more self-inflicted and unnecessary harm inflicted on its citizens and those of our EU neighbours.

Yours sincerely,Emmanuelle Brook, Chair, Cornwall for EuropeBrenda Ashton, Chair, Liverpool for EuropeKath England and Joe White, Co-chairs, Manchester For EuropeMartin Brooks, Chair, York For EuropeRichard Newcombe, Chair, London4EuropeAlex Pilkington, Chair, Devon for EuropeJoanne Risley, Chair, Weaver for EuropePeter Burke, Chair, Oxford for Europe

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Sue Wilson, Chair, Bremain in SpainCaroline Kuipers, Open Britain BerkshireMatt Hodgson, Banbury for EuropeHelen Holdsworth, co-chair, We Are For EuropePhilip Cole, Chair, Cheltenham for EuropeWiebke Rueterjans, group lead, Merseyside for EuropeAdrian Betteridge, Chair, Berkshire for EuropeJules Cavalier, Chair, Dorset for EuropeKathryn Fox, Coordinator, European Movement MendipNicholas Kerr, Executive committee, European Movement Mid KentJohn Gaskell, Chair, EM SW Surrey branchGeorge Longstaff, European Movement national council member for West MidlandsHarriet Pahl, Chair, Ledbury For EuropeJudy Mason, Acting Chair, Stratford4EuropeTom Pratt, Convener, EU in Brum Elena Remigi and Veronique Martin, Founders, In Limbo ProjectCaroline Anderson, Chair, Eddisbury For EuropeProf Emmy van Deurzen, Chair, Voices for EuropeDebbie Williams, Founder, Brexpats Hear Our VoiceClive Hillman, Co-chair, Southampton for EuropeChristine James, Secretary, Enfield For EuropePaul Adams, Chair, Somerset Loves EuropePhilip Gough, Suffolk EU AllianceRichard Cleaver, Group Facilitator, Stamford For EuropeVirginie Ganivet, Chair, Ely For Europe and South East Cambs For EuropeMichelle Duhig, Events Coordinator, Chippenham4EUMaria Klos, Secretary, Croydon For EuropeAlan White, Chair, Streatham for EuropeSarah Patey, Secretary, Norfolk For EuropeRebecca Ireland, Greenwich for EuropeLouise Brown, Co-founder, North East for EuropeSimon Jones, Chair, Flintshire For EuropeFriederike Brezig, Edinburgh4EuropeJonathan Harris, Branch Chair, East Kent European Movement

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Andrew Brown, Secretary, People’s Vote Coventry/Coventry4EuropeGinny Smith, Chair, Eunity SeahavenMorag Williamson, Convenor, Yes for EU (Scotland)David Rowen, Chair, European Movement Portsmouth and Chichester BranchPat Maguire, Chair, Hull and East Yorkshire for EuropeSimon Ferrigno, Chair, European Movement DerbyshirePetra Kopp, Secretary, Brighton & Hove for EUPaul Browne, Chair, Cambridge for EuropeDuncan Hodgkins, Spokesperson, Veterans for EuropePhilip Nield, Secretary, Northamptonshire for EuropeDiane Holden, South Bucks for EuropeDavid Nickerson, Chair, Esher and Walton Branch European MovementJon Moore, Chair, Lancaster for Europe European MovementJudith King, Organiser, EU in WalsallPeter Corr, UKRejoinTheEU.co.ukJohn Maguire, Chair, Watford for EuropeBarbara Callender, Chairperson, European Movement Wandsworth & MertonCarole Luck, Secretary, Welwyn Hatfield for EuropeRuth St John, Treasurer, Tunbridge Wells INPatrick Reynolds, Sevenoaks Swanley and Tonbridge in EuropeMolly Williams, Naomi Holdaway, Jay Whatson, Ellie Sellwood, Andrea Carlo Martinez, Chaired by consensus, Young European VoicesRosie Price, Chair, Kirklees for EuropeJennifer Monahan, West London Grassroots for EuropeAlex Goulds, Chair, Bromley for EuropeJanet Hardy-Gould, Chair, EUnity LewesJon Ainge, Representing, British in HungaryRichard Jones, Chair, Herefordshire for EuropeNoel McGlinchey, Chair, Chester for EuropeGareth Steel, Co-chair, Lewisham East for EuropeAndrew Black, British in EstoniaPaul Williams, Vice-chair, Hampshire European MovementEmma Woodford, Brexit and the Belgian Brits (BABBS)

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Ian Morris, Chair, Canterbury for EuropePaul Sims, British in PolandKatherine Baker, Maidenhead for EUJohn Bland, Chair, Lincolnshire European MovementHeike Stopper, Acting Chair, Vale of Glamorgan for EuropeJames Catmur, Lead – Floreat Aula, St Neots and Huntingdon for EuropeClare Scanlan, Glasgow Loves EUJane Golding and Fiona Godfrey, Co-chairs, British in Europe (and coalition groups across the EU)Penelope Phillips McIntyre, Committee member, British in ItalySarah Parkes, Tricia Tarrant and Adam Cohen, British in the NetherlandsNeal Whatson, British in RomaniaJack Dart and James Dart, Co-founders, Staying in the EU is Best for BritainJack Dart and James Dart, Co-founders, Inspire EUStephen Cole, British in FinlandKatherine Ogden and Yvonne Flavin, British in SwitzerlandDavid Milstead, British in SwedenHelen Springall, British in DenmarkRoger Boaden, ECREU (Expat Citizens Rights in the EU)Kalba Meadows and Kathryn Dobson, France Rights, British in Europe FranceJoseph Dodds and Chris Gardiner, British in the Czech RepublicTig James and Rory Stewart, British in PortugalPeter Corkill, Chair, Warwick District 4 EuropeBob Wilkin, Chair, Bedfordshire for EuropeVictoria Lee, Stirling4EuropeTim Lund, Lewisham West & Penge in EuropeWayne Childs, Group leader, Open Britain AbingdonRob Evans & Charles Smith, Chairs, Bridgend for EuropeKate Freeman, Chair, Devizes for EUEmma Knaggs, Chair, Bath for EuropeSteve Bray, Founder, SODEM (Stand of Defiance European Movement)

https://cornwallforeurope.org/letter-to-keir-starmer/

Robert Gosling, 18/06/2020 <<Robert Gosling, Wakefield. Spenborough Guardian, Letters.

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Wakefield The outbreak of Covid-19 has had a tremendous impact on our NHS and our economy, leaving many people vulnerable. The simple truth is that our NHS cannot cope with the effects of leaving the EU without a trade deal in place and Covid-19.The discussions with the EU have, as a result of the pandemic, been delayed, and also have to be conducted remotely. I am, therefore, increasingly concerned that a trade deal will not be finalised, and we will be faced witha no-deal Brexit.Leaving the EU without a deal would cause:Delays in importing medicines and medical equipment, including vital PPE;A weakening of the public health response, including the response to pandemics when we leave EU schemes without agreeing to partnerships with crucial EU bodies;Disruption of patient care due to the ending of reciprocal healthcare agreements.Most people in the UK support extending the transition period. But this isn’t about Brexit. It isn’t about who voted Leave or Remain. It is about doing what is in the national interest. We must do what is right for our country in order to protect our economy and our NHS. Our doctors and nurses are on the front line, fighting this virus everyday. They are risking their lives to protect the public. We should seek an extension to the Brexit transition period, so we can focus on getting the best deal possible and protecting our front-line workers in the NHS. >>https://spenboroughguardian.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/we-must-seek-brexit-extension-protect-our-frontline-nhs-workers-yep-letters-2887152

Nichola Mallon MLA (SDLP)

15/06/2020 SDLP proposes extension of Brexit transition period at Executive by Nichola Mallon MLA<<SDLP Deputy Leader Nichola Mallon proposed again that the Executive should write to the British Government seeking an extension to the Brexit Transition Period today.The Infrastructure Minister said that time is running out and that we can no longer afford to adopt a ‘wait and see’ attitude to negotiations.The DUP used a cross community vote to block the proposal despite it having the support of the Assembly and many other parties.Nichola Mallon said:“I again proposed at the Executive today that we should write to the British Government seeking an extension to the Brexit transition period. People, businesses and communities across Northern Ireland need certainty, we cannot afford to adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach to the negotiations.“The Assembly as a named party to the withdrawal agreement consented to an SDLP motion calling for anextension to the transition period. After all the talk about democratic legitimacy, the will of people here is being frustrated again.

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“This issue will not go away. I have no faith that this British Government is capable of managing the response to a global health crisis while renegotiating our future trading relationship with Europe in the time left. An extension to the transition period is an economic, moral and democratic imperative.“The DUP have put their narrow pro-Brexit agenda over the needs of communities and businesses struggling to recover from Covid19. For weeks upon weeks the DUP’s rhetoric has been that they are standing up for businessyet when it comes to Brexit they are ignoring their wishes and instead of supporting them to gain more planning time, they are aiding and abetting Boris Johnston and his Tory cronies in Number 10 to impose economic chaos on our community. >>“It is incredible that they used the cross community vote to block my proposal that would show not only our business community but the British Government that we want to stand up for ourselves and the people we represent. Those who continue to veto the voices of the majority need to take a long hard look at themselves - because history will not be forgiving.”>>https://www.sdlp.ie/news/2020/sdlp-proposes-extensi on-of-brexit-transition-period-at-executive/ https://www.facebook.com/SocialDemocraticLabourParty/posts/3691109444238800

Richard Wilson (Leeds for Europe)

17/06/2020 <<Brexit pause now required to head off yet another crisis – Yorkshire Post Letters (1/2)“RASHMI Dube, managing director of Legatus Law, spells out clearly in your Business section the strains created by Brexit uncertainty coming atop the Covid-19 crisis (The Yorkshire Post, June 11).But she is perhaps too diplomatic to be as clear about where blame for these strains should lie. The deadlines are not set in stone. They are artificial constructs being imposed by our Government.Brussels has offered a two-year extension to transition talks – but Britain needs to agree to this before the end of June.If not, then we risk crashing out of the EU with no deal in December.Groups such as Leeds for Europe and the national European Movement are calling on the Government to accept this offer – delay Brexit and focus on tackling Covid-19.As Rashmi Dube says, time is running out. I would urge any business that feels that one crisis at a time is enough to contact their MP immediately and demand a Brexit pause. And perhaps be a little less diplomatic than Ms Dube when doing so.Richard Wilson, Chair, Leeds for Europe.”>>https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opi nion/letters/brexit-pause-now-required-head-yet-another-crisis-yorkshire-post-letters-2886065

Martin Brooks (York for Europe).

17/06/2020 <<Brexit pause now required to head off yet another crisis – Yorkshire Post Letters (2/2)“IN the impossibly short time available before June 30 for resolving a meaningful trade arrangement with the EU

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and the inherent uncertainty any such a deal would involve, the only sensible strategy for the Government is to extend the transition period. We need to assess the economic terrain in which are negotiating and be objective about our future interests, and the trade terms we need to agree before our practical departure date from the EU. The huge cost of a no deal to the economy has been well established.Whilst supporting Brexit in principle, York Outer MP Julian Sturdy has said that a no- deal Brexit will be detrimental and he would work hard to prevent it.We trust that Julian will be as good as his word on this. Martin Brooks, Chair, York for Europe.”>>https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/brexit-pause-now-required-head-yet-another-crisis-yorkshire-post-letter s-2886065

The Loadstar 12/06/2020 <<No extension to Brexit transition period, but border controls will be eased, at first by Alex LennaneThe UK government has confirmed it will not seek an extension to the Brexit transition period, but will relax border controls for imports, initially, and implement new controls, in stages, to give businesses more time to prepare.In what seems an admission that businesses – and customs – will not be ready for the huge shift, particularly as they continue to battle the impacts of coronavirus, the government said it would offer an additional £50m in grants, on top of the initial £34m, to “accelerate the growth of the UK’s current customs intermediaries sector”.The government said: “Recognising the impact of coronavirus on businesses’ ability to prepare, and following the announcement in February that the UK would implement full border controls on imports coming into GB from the EU, the UK has taken the decision to introduce the new border controls in three stages up until 1 July 2021. This flexible and pragmatic approach will give industry extra time to make necessary arrangements.”Cabinet minister Michael Gove also appeared to be pulling back from his recent comments that businesses were exaggerating their concerns.[….]The UK logistics industry welcomed the news. Elizabeth de Jong, policy director at the Freight Transport Association, said: “The logistics industry is extremely grateful for the measures announced by the UK government to stage the introduction of new trading arrangements between the EU and UK in the first six months after the transition period.“They have listened to our concerns and made allowances to enable our sector to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and plan effectively so that we can continue to trade effectively with Europe.”>>https://theloadstar.com/no-extension-to-brexit-transition-period-but-border-controls-will-be-eased-at-first/

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Best for Britain 16/06/2020 <<NEW MRP POLL: ‘Red wall’ voters prioritise EU over US cooperation on coronavirus and trade. 9 in 10 want EU trade deal at the end of transition.Voters in ‘red wall’ seats overwhelmingly think the UK should prioritise working with Europe over the United States on trade and coronavirus, according to a massive new opinion poll.Britain CEO Naomi Smith said:"The data is clear: so-called 'red wall' voters, particularly those who switched from Labour to Conservative in these key battleground seats during the last election, are ready to punish the government if it fails to fulfil its manifesto pledge to secure a trade deal with the EU."With the UK in recession, these voters are scared about a double whammy of coronavirus and a no-deal Brexit. That's understandable given the increase in bureaucracy that would still be required even despite the government backtracking on its desire to implement full border checks. "This feeling of economic vulnerability will only grow as we enter the final months of talks, meaning the pressure is on for the government to secure a trade deal by the end of the year or u-turn and extend the transition period."

Social Market Foundation reportThe Social Market Foundation (SMF) report was commissioned by non-partisan advocacy group Best for Britain. It examines, in the context of ‘U-shaped’ recovery from a coronavirus induced recession, the economic impact of both a new Free Trade Agreement and leaving the European Union without a trade deal. It seeks to provide an understanding of which sectors, regions and local areas in the UK will be most exposed to both supply-side shocks. Its main findings include:

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal in place on 31st December 2020, the manufacturing, banking, finance and insurance sectors would be severely exposed to a double economic hit from Brexit and coronavirus.

While London and the South of England would be highly exposed to the double economic hit caused by Brexit and coronavirus under an FTA, leaving the EU without a deal in place would create pockets of severe disruption across the country, and particularly in the North West and Midlands regions. 50% of local areas (NUTS3) in the North West are placed in Category 5 (the highest) and a further 40% in Category 4 for their exposure to a double economic hit based on the gross value added of sectors locally.

Analysis of local area impact based on employment shows there are 66 local areas in the most severe

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category of impact if the UK leaves the EU without a trade deal at the end of the year. One sixth of these areas have more than a third of their labour market working in either manufacturing or finance, banking and insurance etc. (the two industries most impacted). Four of the 66 areas have more than 100,000 jobs in these two industries.

The full report, ‘Assessing the economic implications of coronavirus and Brexit’, can be downloaded here . You can find a methodological note for the report here. A recording of Best for Britain's webinar to launch the report, including lead authors Kathryn Petrie and Sam Lowe from the Centre for European Reform, can be found here.>>https://www.bestforbritain.org/new_mrp_poll_red_wall_voters_prioritise_eu_over_us_cooperation_on_coronavirus_and_trade_9_in_10_want_eu_trade_deal_at_the_end_of_transition

British Medical Journal - Martin McKee et al.

16/06/2020 <<Risks to health and the NHS in the post-Brexit era May C I van Schalkwyk, Holly Jarman, Tamara Hervey, Olivier J Wouters, Pepita Barlow, Martin McKee. Trade deals negotiated as the next part of the Brexit process will have big implications for healthcare, and we need greater transparency say May van Schalkwyk and colleagues. "Amid the covid-19 pandemic, the additional challenge of implementing large scale changes to UK trading arrangements is of great concern. Unsurprisingly, calls have been made for an extension to thetransition period and for US-UK trade negotiations to be delayed [….] The UK will be under great pressure to agree a trade deal that favours corporate interests, and especially those of the pharmaceutical industry, over public health "The precautionary principle, where safety must be established in advance rather than being assumed until proved otherwise, has been attacked. The principle has been described by the UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, as “mumbo jumbo,” while the approach adopted in the US, where safety is assumed until harm is proved, has been promoted as a “science based” approach. The precautionary principle is often applied to chemical and other potential hazards to prevent harmful human exposures and environmental damage. By contrast, the US approach has been associated with an increased exposure to pollution and other toxic or environmental hazards, particularly for disadvantaged communities, further exacerbating environmental inequities. Given UK ministers’ apparent preference for the US over the EU as its main future trade partner, the UK may find itself abandoning the precautionary principle. >>https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/369/bmj.m2307.full.pdf

Drapers Online 16/06/2020 <<'Suppliers condemn government's Brexit 'madness' by Isabella Fish. UK suppliers and manufacturers have expressed disappointment that the government will press ahead with Brexit at the end of this year, but have welcomed the proposed phasing-in of customs checks on goods from the European Union.“In my opinion it is madness, after all that has happened in 2020, that we did not even consider extending

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the transition,” one footwear supplier told Drapers.“The economy has been devastated and I do not see Brexit – whether hard or soft – helping this in the short or the long term. The shutdown has been extremely challenging.“There are major issues for business to get over and through. These may include stock, which needs to be sold at clearance prices to improve cash positions. This obviously affects profitability.“Recovery will] not happen overnight, or even in a few months. So, to put further constraints, administrative costs or delays on our supply chain in 2021, is, in my opinion, ridiculous.” [..]Laura Gore, managing director of silk supplier Vanners, said: “An extension [to the Brexit transition period] would of course have been preferable to us as we ship our yarns in from our Italian supplier and other parts for machinery. The phasing gives a slight comfort. However, after the damage of the pandemic, we will certainly be looking for government to support us in every way possible to stop further damage to trade.” […] Simon Cotton, CEO of Scottish knitwear manufacturer Johnstons of Elgin, welcomed the phased import controls: “Europe remains a critical market for us, as many of the world’s leading brands that we service are based in France and Italy.“Retaining unrestricted, free access to this most important market, remains absolutely essential to us and the whole UK textile industry.”>>https://www.drape rsonline.com/news/suppliers-condemn-governments-brexit-madness/7040724.article

Geraint Davies, MP(Labour, Swansea West)

16/06/2020 <<Labour M P attacks Gove’s “no extension” to transition extensionA Labour MP has accused the government of gambling with Britain’s future by refusing to seek an extension to the transition period after Brexit. Geraint Davies, MP for Swansea West, told an on-line rally by the European Movement that Boris Johnson’s policy is reckless, choosing a direction that can only damage Britain’s trade…>> [audio]https ://www.eureporter.co/podcast/labour-mp-attacks-goves-no-extension-to-transition-extension/

Lord Heseltine 16/06/2020 <<It’s too late to go on arguing to remain in the EU – remainers lost the battle, Lord Heseltine told an on-line rally organised by the European Movement. But that doesn’t mean the transition period should not be extended to help protect UK businesses, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. The former Deputy Prime Minister said it’s irresponsible to make a bad situation worse… >> [audio]https://www.eureporter.co/podcast/lord-heseltine-says-uk-government-must-extend-brexit-transition-period/

Joanna Minchin (Isle of Wight)

16/06/2020 <<Letter: Brexit transition period extension needed before we end up with No Deal BrexitThis reader believes the country is heading towards a No Deal Brexit and says the Government should extend the transition period in light of Coronavirus. This letter from Joanna Minchin.

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“I am perplexed as to why the Tory Government are not willing to extend the transition period for their discussions over Brexit? Surely it is in everyone’s interest to reach a deal?We are at a critical time for our country. While the Government is occupied with Covid-19, the end of the Brexit transition period is drawing nearer.There is now less than one month for the UK and the EU to agree an extension.If no agreement is reached, we risk a No Deal Brexit that would alter our economy, way of life, and NHS forever. We should tackle one problem at a time. We need to extend the transition period.”https://onthewight.com/letter-brexit-transition-period-extension-needed-before-we-end-up-with-no-deal-brexit/

Guardian - Patrick Butler and Dan Peters

21/05/2020 <<No-deal Brexit 'would overwhelm local emergency teams' by Patrick Butler and Dan Peters Leaked report warns local disaster planning already exhausted by coronavirus crisisPreparing for the impact of a no-deal Brexit later this year would overwhelm local emergency response teams exhausted by the Covid-19 pandemic, a leaked Whitehall report has warned.A review by a committee set up to review the response to coronavirus said failing to seek an extension to Brexit negotiations threatened to “compound Covid-19 with a second UK societal-wide, economic and social, chronic threat”.The government made it clear that it will not seek an extension to the Brexit transition period on 31 December – but the leaked report, published by the Municipal Journal, said this threatened to “overwhelm” local disaster planning capacity. [….]The 76-page report marked “official/sensitive” was drawn up by the C-19 Foresight group, a cross-government team which supports local resilience forums in England and Wales. The 42 regional LRFs are tasked with planning and responding to major incidents and catastrophic events. [….]“The review expanded on concerns over the government’s controlling approach and failure to communicate vital Covid-19 information and intelligence to local response teams, which first emerged in a shorter version of the report highlighted by the Guardian last week. ”>>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/21/no-deal-brexit-would-o verwhelm-local-emergency-teams

Nicola Mallon MSP (SDLP)

02/06/2020 <<Nichola Mallon disappointed at executive not requesting Brexit extensionA STORMONT minister has expressed disappointment that the executive has not yet agreed to urge the British government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period.However, SDLP deputy leader and infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon said there was a "glimmer of hope" as ministers agreed to consider it again in a fortnight."Brexit is hurtling down the tracks and to date there has been no clarity from the British government for

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businesses and communities," she said."As Northern Ireland is uniquely positioned and our island has very real and unique challenges from Brexit, we must have time to prepare and protect our economy and our citizens."I am disappointed that not all executive ministers supported me today in my proposal for an extension, howeverwe reached an agreement that we will look again at my proposal in a fortnight's time, ahead of the deadline."I will continue to press executive colleagues to recognise the practical challenges facing our communities."We have a duty and obligation to send a clear message to the British government that more time is needed.">>http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2020/06/02/news/nichola-mallon-disappointed-at-executive-not-requesting-brexit-extension-1959994/

Chris Hazzard MP, (Sinn Fein)

16/06/2020 <<“Extend Brexit transition period to protect economy” – HazzardSinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard has reiterated the party’s call for an extension of the Brexit transition period following a warning from the CBI that businesses will not cope with a no-deal Brexit. Speaking to Newry Times, the party’s Brexit spokesperson said, “We heard the very real concerns of the head of CBI, Carolyn Fairbairn on the threat posed by Brexit to businesses in Britain and the North. CBI has warned the British Government that businesses simply ‘cannot cope with no deal and virus’.“Our economy is under enormous pressure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; it is clear then that this pandemic coupled with a no-deal Brexit would cause a severe economic shock to businesses and our local economy.“It is also concerning that the EU has been critical of progress made in Brexit negotiations, describing the lack ofprogress as ‘disappointing’.“As the Brexit deadline approaches, it is vital that the British Government does not continue to act in bad faith, and urgently moves to deliver upon the legal commitments contained in the Withdrawal Agreement and the Irish Protocol,” he continued.“Our local business community have also been scathing of the lack of engagement and technical detail being supplied to them from the British Government.“It is imperative that the British Government work quickly to supply this information and establish education and training resources for local businesses in order to help them meet the demands of trading in the post-Brexit world.“The Brexit deadline should now be extended to avoid a potential crash out, no-deal Brexit at the end of the year,which would devastate our economy already weakened by the current pandemic,” the local MP added.>>http://newrytimes.com/2020/06/16/extend-brexit-transition-period-to-protect-economy-hazzard/

Caroline Brown, Brighton & Hove

12/06/2020 <<Government wrong to deny Brexit extensionResponding to reports the UK Government will tell the EU on Friday it is not going to seek an extension to the

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Lib Dems; Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrat)

Brexit transition period, Brighton & Hove Lib Dems member Caroline Brown, who last month joined with Grassroots for Europe to write to Hilary Benn as chair of the Brexit Committee in the wake of Michael Gove's appearance before them, said:"We are careering towards a No Deal end to the transition period on 31st December, while struggling with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and a possible second wave of infections."Oral evidence given by Michael Gove and David Frost to select committees on 27th & 28th May revealed that it will be impossible for the UK and EU to wrap up complex and difficult negotiations by September, when 27 countries must review and ratify the proposed deal."With businesses struggling to cope amid the coronavirus pandemic, the last thing they need is to be forced to adapt to a sudden and costly change in rules under which they can operate. Many will simply be unable to cope."Sir Ed Davey has tabled a motion, calling for a 2-year extension, which Labour is refusing to support."Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:"Food shortages, medicine shortages, and an unprecedented hit to jobs and livelihoods: that is what the UK is facing if we crash out of the EU without a deal."Boris Johnson's ideological stubbornness will see the most vulnerable in our country hit hardest."With the country is already struggling as a result of Covid-19, it beggars belief that the Government are happy to pile Brexit on top of this already devastating situation."Liberal Democrats will continue to urge the Government to think again and extend the transition period." https://liberalbrighton.org/en/article/2020/1364050/government-wrong-to-deny-brexit-extension >>

Devon for Europe 17/06/2020 Full page advert in Western Morning News, forthcoming: open letter to 27 MPs. (Ben Bradshaw: Geoffrey Cox; Steve Double; Richard Drax; George Eustice; Kevin Foster; Marcus Fysh; James Heappey; Simon Hoare; Simon Jupp; Ian Liddell-Grainger; Chris Loder; Cherilyn Mackrory; Anthony Mangnall; Scott Mann; Johnny Mercer; Anne-Marie Morris; Sheryll Murray; Neil Parish; Luke Pollard; Rebecca Pow; Jacob Rees-Mogg; Selaine Saxby; Sir Gary Streeter; Mel Stride; Derek Thomas; David Warburton.)<<‘Dear West Country MP, Brexit has happened - the UK left the EU on 31st January this year. The UK originally requested a Transition Period in order to negotiate our future relationship with the EU, avoid aNo Deal Brexit and to give businesses, public services and citizens time to adjust to the new environment. The Transition Period is due to end on 31st December 2020 without any of these crucial objectives having been met. To add to our problems, we have the Coronavirus crisis and its tragic impact on our lives and livelihoods to contend with. For many businesses, the prospect of handling the full impact of an as yet unspecified Brexit in a

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post-Coronavirus world, with any reserves they may have had seriously depleted, is a crisis too far. Farmers, food producers, the NHS, hauliers, manufacturers and a whole raft of other vital industries and public services are desperate for the Government to recognise that we can only deal with one crisis at a time. The stubborn refusal to extend the Transition Period is a political choice and one that puts us at grave risk of a catastrophic No Deal or Rush Deal Brexit simply because we have run out of time. Billions of pounds have been spent propping up the economy during the Coronavirus crisis and the Government’s own figures show that Brexit itself comes with a heavy economic cost. Why damage the country further for the sake of meeting anarbitrary date? We urge you, our West Country MPs, to act in the best interests of your constituents and do everything in your power to secure a vital extension to the Transition Period by 30th June. This extension will give all of us time to recover, time to plan, time to adapt. For the sake of the UK, please extend the Transition Period. Yours sincerely, Devon for Europe >>

Alfred Artley 08/06/2020 <<Article 50 reloaded? Amending the Withdrawal Agreement to extend the Brexit transition periodThis blog post, written by Alfred Artley of Monckton Chambers, explores whether there is a viable legal basis in the EU treaties which would allow the EU and UK to extend the transition period outside the already-agreed mechanisms in the Withdrawal Agreement. >>https://eurelationslaw.com/blog/article-50-reloaded-amending-the-withdrawal-agreement-to-extend-the-brexit-transition-period

Ian Murray MP (Labour)

15/04/20 <<15 April, 2020, London GlossyShadow Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray, has called for an “immediate” extension to the Brexit transition period due to the coronavirus outbreak.In a letter to Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, Mr Murray said “this is not a time for constitutional politics”, adding the British Government focus should be on tackling Covid-19.Mr Murray wrote: “I note that Scottish Conservative and Unionist leader Jackson Carlaw MSP has called for a ‘pragmatic response’.“The pragmatic response for the UK Government is to urgently apply for an extension to the transition period.“This is not a time for constitutional politics and business do not need any more uncertainty.”“The entire focus of all Governments in the UK must be on working together to tackle the coronavirus outbreak and then dealing with its aftermath to ensure our economy recovers.“I therefore hope you will support your party leader in Holyrood, and business leaders across the UK, and address this issue with your Cabinet colleagues at the earliest possible opportunity.”>>

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https://www.pressreader.com/uk/evening-times/20200416/281702616846339https://londonglossy.com/brexit-transition-period-must-be-extended-immediately-says-uk-labour-mp/

West Wales Chronicle

31/03/2020 <<POLL: WALES WANTS BREXIT TRANSITION EXTENSIONTwo-thirds of people in the UK want the government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period in order to focus on the coronavirus outbreak, according to a new opinion poll.In Wales, 58 per cent said they wanted the government to request an extension.>>>>https://www.westwaleschronicle.co.uk/blog/2020/03/31/poll-wales-wants-brexit-transition-extension/

Jo Stevens MP (Labour)

31/03/2020 << Two-thirds of people in the UK want the government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period in order to focus on the coronavirus outbreak, according to a new opinion poll.In Wales, 58 per cent said they wanted the government to request an extension. [...]Welsh Labour MP Jo Stevens said:“Setting the UK up for a second economic shock would be deeply irresponsible at a time when the world is struggling to contain the coronavirus.“The UK government must focus on the job at hand. Until further notice, that job is dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, not Brexit.”https://www.westwaleschronicle.co.uk/blog/2020/03/31/poll-wales-wants-brexit-transition-extension/

European Movement in Scotland

15/06/2020 <<European Movement in Scotland slams Johnson over Brexit date by Kirsteen PatersonScotland's biggest Remain campaign has today branded the UK Government “highly reckless” over its refusal to seek a Brexit extension.Last week Michael Gove, acting for the Tory government, told Brussels leaders that the UK will not change the Leave deadline.Today the European Movement in Scotland (Emis) has condemned that position in a statement that coincides with a meeting between Boris Johnson and EU institution leaders.The Prime Minister is to hold talks with the European Council, Commission and Parliament.And the call also comes as a petition calling for a Brexit extension passes the 100,000 threshold.That trigger point means Westminster's Petitions Committee must now give serious consideration to holding a debate on the matter. More signatures have been added by people living in Edinburgh North & Leith than in any other UK constituency.David Clarke, vice-chair of Emis said: “Despite experiencing one of the largest global pandemics, Boris Johnson’s government recklessly ploughs on with a transition period due to finish at the end of this year, deaf and blind to the enormous damage a poor Brexit

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deal or indeed no deal will have on an already weakened UK economy.“If it is to be anything short of an economic catastrophe, the matter of negotiating a good trading deal with the EU should be set to one side until it can be given the serious attention that it clearly now requires."We are urging the Prime Minister to propose a two-year extension to the Brexit transitionperiod.“Such an extension is vital if the UK is not to suffer an even more grievous body-blow to our economy and society from Brexit, on top of the pandemic."So far, Boris Johnson has adamantly rejected any extension, but he now faces a full-scaleWestminster debate after a petition demanding an extension while the ravages of Covid-19 continue passed the 100,000 barrier set by the Commons."It is great to see a Scottish constituency, Edinburgh North & Leith, cementing its role as Britain's most pro-EU constituency.” >>https://www.thenational.scot/news/1 8517520.european-movement-scotland-slams-johnson-brexit-date/?ref=twtrec

Another Europe is Possible

15/06/2020 <<Labour MPs back launch of post-Brexit demands ‘Alternative Mandate’ by Sienna Rodgers Labour MPs Clive Lewis, Kate Osamor and Nadia Whittome are among those backing the launch of a new campaign, ‘Alternative Mandate’, that sets out a left-wing post-Brexit vision.

Campaign group Another Europe is Possible, which organised within Labour to oppose Brexit and promote a fresh referendum before the 2019 general election, has unveiled the new initiative today.The Alternative Mandate has put forward a list of demands on the ongoing Brexit negotiations that will determine the UK’s future relationship with the EU and whether there is a ‘no deal’ scenario.The demands cover 13 areas of policy, from international coordination on the coronavirus crisis and on tackling the climate crisis to human rights and trade negotiations.The group is asking for continued British membership of the European Medicines Agency, free movement, a UK net-zero target of 2030, no loss of rights for workers and protection of the Human Rights Act.Observing that “Brexit happened in part because of a crisis of democracy”, the campaigners also call for broader commitments such as a written constitution, proportional representation for elections and votes at16.The alliance of figures behind the move include five Labour MPs, Plaid Cymru’s Hywel Williams, Green Party politicians, the TSSA’s Manuel Cortes and the general secretary of the BFAWU.Sarah Woolley of the Bakers’ Union said: “As a union, we supported Leave in the 2016 referendum – but we

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never backed a Brexit that would hit jobs and workers’ rights, and neither did millions of Leave voters.“This government is hell-bent on using Brexit to deregulate the economy and attack workers, and blaming migrants for the consequences. Now that we’ve left the EU, it is essential that the labour movement and the left unites around a set of demands to defend working class people.”Labour’s Clive Lewis, who campaigned against Brexit, added: “We’ve left the EU, and it’s no good pretending like this hasn’t happened. But leaving the EU is just the first stage of the Brexit process. Everything is now at stake, and unless we apply some pressure, we are going to face yet another disaster.“There is a real danger this government will try to use the Covid crisis and the very possible resulting recession as a shock doctrine. One they can use to reshape our society around a trade deal with Donald Trump.“That could mean a permanently deregulated economy, lower standards and worse wages and rights. All the things we said were likely should Brexit be successful. There is almost no popular support for such an approach.“That means we need to make ourselves heard – both about the dangers such a trade deal represents but also our own alternative vision for a radically different future and what it would like.”

Below is the full statement of Alternative Mandate and its signatories.

The UK has left the EU. Regardless of whether or not you opposed Brexit, we must all now come to terms with this reality and unite to address the enormous dangers ahead of us.Coronavirus has disrupted the fabric of our society, and we will soon face a massive economic crisis. Around the world, right wing governments will use this crisis to pursue an unprecedented attack on workers, human rights, migrants and the environment. In the UK, they will attempt to use the Brexit process to deregulate the economy and undermine our rights.If our alternative vision is to succeed, we need to break from the status quo, and to put forward a radical politics built on internationalism and solidarity. So today, we are supporting the launch of The Alternative Mandate – a set of demands on the Brexit process. From migrants rights to trade justice, and from public health and jobs to agriculture and science funding, we are determined to offer an alternative to the vision put forward by the likes of Boris Johnson, Victor Orban, Donald Trump and Matteo Salvini.Achieving these goals, whether over the next five years or over the next 50, will require a mass movement that ispluralistic, and which stretches across the boundaries of parties and countries.Caroline Lucas MPClive Lewis MPHywel Williams MPNadia Whittome MP

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Kate Osamor MPVirendra Sharma MPGeraint Davies MPSian Berry AM, Green Party co-leaderJonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leaderManuel Cortes, TSSA general secretarySarah Woolley, BFAWU general secretaryIan Hodson, BFAWU presidentJohn Moloney, PCS deputy general secretary (pc)Amelia Womack, Green Party deputy leaderShaista Aziz, Stop Trump coalition co-founderMichael Chessum, Another Europe is PossibleNick Dearden, Global Justice NowHilary Wainwright, Transnational InstituteMary Kaldor, LSE professorJoseph Healy, Left Unity principle speaker>>https ://labourlist.org/2020/06/labour-mps-back-launch-of-post-brexit-demands-alternative-mandate/ https://www.anothereurope.org/alternative-mandate/https://twitter.com/another_europe/status/1272541309786619910?s=12

Layla Moran MP (Lib Dems), Clive Lewis MP (Labour),Caroline Lucas MP(Green party), Tommy Sheppard MP (SNP), and Liz Saville Roberts MP (Plaid Cymru)

15/06/2020 Opposition parties push for new vote to extend Brexit transition period by Adrian Zorzut<<Westminster opposition parties are pushing ahead with plans to force a vote on extending the Brexit transition period.Opposition MPs have written to Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg requesting a vote on new legislation that would extend the transition period.Labour, the Liberals Democrats, the SNP and other parties submitted a draft bill to repeal that the current section of the EU Withdrawal Bill that prevents ministers from requesting an extension by the end of June.In the letter, Layla Moran (Lib Dems), Clive Lewis (Labour), Caroline Lucas (Green party), Tommy Sheppard (SNP), and Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru) said evading calls to extend the Brexit transition period would be tantamount to “turning a deaf ear to the public” at a time of “national crisis”.They argued that a lot has changed since the first Brexit vote in January and that the coronavirus and a tidal-wave change in opinion in favour of an extension warranted a new vote on the matter.“The UK has experienced the devastating impact of coronavirus, causing over 41,000 deaths, a record fall in

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GDP and unprecedented restrictions to our daily lives,” they wrote.“None of us could have predicted then the scale of the damage to the country that would be caused by this pandemic.“In light of this dramatic change in circumstances, it is only right that parliament should be given the chance to make its voice heard again on this critical issue. Failure to do so would be to turn a deaf ear to the public at a time of national crisis.”Commenting on the issue, Lib Dems leadership hopeful Layla Moran warned that it was not “too late” for an extension.She said: “A no deal Brexit at the end of this year would strike a devastating blow to people’s livelihoods, businesses and the NHS just as we begin to turn the corner from the coronavirus.“It’s not too late to stop this monumental act of national self-harm in its tracks and agree to an extension.“MPs have not been consulted on Brexit since before the pandemic hit in January. Given the scale of the damage done by coronavirus and the significant public support for an extension, parliament must now be given a say.”>>https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/opposition-parties-push-to-extend-brexit-transition-period-1-6700896

Nick Cohen; NaomiSmith, Best for Britain

15/06/2020 <<A poll given to The Spectator today by the Best for Britain think tank shows the gap between ‘Red Wall’ voters and the Tory elite in London is dizzyingly wide. It reports overwhelming opposition to a no-deal Brexit in the seats that put Johnson in Downing Street. As striking is the widespread concern about living standards and equally valid worries about the Conservatives tying Britain to the Trump administration. [….] 70 per cent of Red Wall voters said they wanted to work with Europe, whereas only 20 per cent said America should be the UK's main partner.The researchers then asked, ‘The Conservative campaign manifesto said that the Government would pursue"a new free trade agreement with the EU [and that] this will be a new relationship based on free trade andfriendly cooperation”. How important is it that the Government keeps this promise?’ Every which way youcould cut up the pro-Brexit, pro-Tory vote, the answer was the same.Red wall average: 88.9 per cent think government keeping promise to get a trade deal is either very important (55 per cent) or important (33.9 per cent). [….]Finally, the reason why people are worried about no-deal was explored. When asked ‘do you think the cost of daily essentials will get better or worse if the UK leaves the transition period without a trade deal,’ 68 per cent answered ‘worse’. [….]Naomi Smith of Best for Britain told me, ‘They failed to plan for the pandemic. They failed to lock down in

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time. Now they are rushing towards a no-deal, against the wishes of key election battleground seats.’>>https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-red-wall-overwhelmingly-opposes-a-no-deal-brexit

John Maguire 05/06/2020 John Maguire. Watford Observer Letters, 5 June.

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

11/06/2020 Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has reacted to Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer’s refusal to answer whether Labour would back an extension to prevent No Deal on LBC radio.

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In reaction to Sir Keir Starmer’s refusal to answer whether Labour would back an extension to prevent No Deal on LBC, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West & Abingdon, Layla Moran said: “It’s time for the Leader of the Opposition to get off the fence. Not extending the transition period drastically increases the chances of a No Deal Brexit, which threatens people’s livelihoods and health.

“Keir Starmer may well prefer the Tories to plough ahead and suffer the fall out of a No Deal, but in doing so, heis putting politics before people. I’m calling on Keir to join forces with the rest of the opposition who are calling for an extension, to help us make the case to protect people from harm.

“The UK is on the brink of an economic crisis that will be devastating for families up and down the country. We need to extend the transition and make sure we have the time and space to negotiate properly.”>>http://www.laylamoran.com/starmer_must_get_off_the_fence_on_transition_extension_and_put_people_before_politics

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

04/05/2020 Liberal Democrats in Eu rope Layla Moran Calls for Extension to Transition Period<<Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, asked the government for a short extension to avoid a no-deal Brexit in ParliamentThe Liberal Democrats believe that the combined impact of Covid-19 and the prospect of the UK crashing out ofthe single market without a trade deal with the European Union will be disastrous to the British economy.There will be massive additional costs with the introduction of trade barriers from January 2021 and the effect ofCovid-19 makes the effects unpredictable. Michale Gove's answer was just to point score.>>https://twitter.com/i/status/1257346992780578819https://www.libdemsineurope.org/layla_moran_calls_for_extension_to_transition_period

Julie Ward, Richard Corbett, Jude Kirton-Darling, Seb Dance, Theresa Griffin, John Howarth and others (567 signatures)

04/06/2020 <<Full list of signatories on call for Labour to fight to pause BrexitFor the statement / to sign, see here. 567 signatures as at 12:25 on 4 June; all in personal capacity unless stated otherwise:[List of signatures available here:https ://labourforasocialisteurope.org/2020/06/03/full-list-of-signatories-on-call-for-labour-to-fight-to-pause-brexit/ ] >>Originally reported and posted with 450 signatures at https://labourlist.org/2020/05/ex-labour-meps-tell-starmer-to-push-for-brexit-transition-extension/ Extracts from the statement and covering texts:<<On Thursday 16th April, the government publicly stated that it would reject any extension to the Brexit transition period

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beyond 31st December 2020. In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, this is a deeply dangerous move for our rights, livelihoods and public services. As Labour members, activists and supporters and trade unionists, we are calling for our party and unions to push for a major extension to the Brexit transition period. Efforts must now be concentrated on saving lives and tackling Covid-19 at a national and global level. We call for the new leadership under Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner to speak out forcefully to articulate this growing demand coming from across society.[...]We believe the whole labour movement should unite to demand an extension, as well as continued membership of the relevant European bodies, regardless of wider views on Brexit. This is a fundamental issue of defending working people's living standardsand rights, including rights to health and social protection as highlighted in the current crisis.If Labour speaks out and campaigns on this crucial issue, we can force the government to change course, safeguarding the economy and living standards and protecting our communities.”

Richard Corbett, last leader of the Labour group in the European Parliament, explains why he's backing this call:"The Government's intention to ignore the Coronavirus crisis in order to complete trade negotiations and force a new UK-EU treaty through this autumn, ending the Brexit transition period in eight months' time, should alarm people on both sides of the Brexit debate."Such a reckless and myopic ideological approach to what everyone knows are complex negotiations could not come at a worse moment. There was already a strong argument to be made for a longer timetable but a time when we should all be working together to fight this terrible virus, the case to extend the transition has surely become overwhelming. We cannot let this government's ideology take precedence over saving lives." >>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1x1HC9N5v5w8HvPCNhLkxXIEQ5XVktQVMIDqVop5JHNM/edit

LabourList 10/05/2020 <<LabourList poll: 76pc want our party to stop the rush to Brexit, only 17pc opposeThe latest LabourList poll of its readers has found that 75.6pc want Labour to call for Brexit to be paused through an extension of the transition period. Only 17.1pc are against.This is not a scientific sample of Labour members, but it’s a large vote – over 6,000 votes cast – and virtually all will be Labour members. It seems likely the result is fairly closely representative of members’ opinions on this.(Other, more scientific polling suggests that two-thirds of the wider public also favour an extension – see here.)It’s only seven weeks until the current deadline for the government to demand an extension (30 June)! Labour must start fighting for this now. If you’re a Labour member or trade unionist, please add your name to this call for our party and movement to speak out.>>https://labourforasocialisteurope.org/2020/05/10/labourlist-poll-76pc-want-the-party-to-stop-the-rush-to-brexit-only-17pc-oppose/

Richard Corbett 18/05/2020 <<While the country’s attention is elsewhere, Johnson tries to ditch his promises on Brexit by Richard

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Corbett.While the country is focused on the coronavirus crisis and its consequences, Johnson and his government are busy trying to rip up all the promises they made to get their Brexit deal through, hoping that they can get away with far-reaching choices that will have huge consequences for the country.While Brexit formally happened on 31 January, it was a ‘Blindfold Brexit’ – leaving the EU without settling on what will replace the myriad arrangements, laws and programmes that we were hitherto part of. Sorting that out was left for the post-Brexit transition period. During this period – which we are now in – the status quo applies, with Britain still subject to EU rights and obligations. But if there is no agreement by the end of the transition, currently set at the end of the year, then we will have the notorious no-deal Brexit. [...]The neo-liberal right of the Tory party was always opposed to any deal with the EU that keeps Britain aligned with European standards. The very reason they wanted Brexit in the first place was because the EU’s single market has rules to protect consumers, workers and the environment – protections that they want to escape from to have a Trump-style corporate free-for-all deregulated economy. They also want Britain to align economically and strategically with the USA rather than with our European neighbours.The one thing that previously held them back was the fear that they would be blamed for the economic fallout of a disorderly no-deal Brexit. Now, they reckon their big chance to get away with it is by doing it now, suddenly and brutally, with the costs, the job losses and the fall in living standards hidden among the effects of the coronavirus lockdown.It’s time to blow the whistle!>>https:/ /yorkshirebylines.co.uk/while-the-countrys-attention-is-elsewhere-johnson-tries-to-ditch-his-promises-on-brexit/

Richard Corbett 14/06/2020 <<Time to drop the silly shibbolethsRichard CorbettOne of the more ludicrous aspects of the ongoing standoff between the government and the EU is the announcement by Michael Gove that, for reasons of “national sovereignty”, it will not countenance the EU having an office in Northern Ireland. Yet, the USA has a fully fledged consulate in Northern Ireland. So do China, India, Poland and even St Vincent & the Grenadines. Why on earth should the EU be precluded?All the more so, as the Brexit deal agreed in January (by Johnson, his government and parliament) requires EU-UK cooperation on trade and customs matters pertaining to Northern Ireland. Gove says that the EU can make “technical visits”, but travel from outside each time to do so. This is silly and petty.[….]This is not a leave vs remain issue. We left on 31 January. It’s about our future relationship with our main trading

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partners, on which thousands of jobs depend. It’s about our security via continued police cooperation. It’s about participation in medical research programmes. It’s about transport links and much else.Now is the time for the government to put aside its shibboleths and admit that a good deal for Britain requires a lot more work than it has been able to do during the coronavirus crisis.>>https://yorkshireb ylines.co.uk/time-to-drop-the-silly-shibboleths/

Margaret Ferrier MP (SNP)

19/04/2020 House of Commons. Margaret Ferrier Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Manufacturing)<<The International Monetary Fund and business leaders want the Government to reduce economic uncertainty amid the coronavirus pandemic. Recent polling found that two thirds of the public want an extension to the transition period. I know that the Minister is not always fond of expert opinion, but will he heed their warnings and buy business precious time to adapt to the economic headwinds that Brexit will bring?>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-05-19a.510.1

Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab)

17/03/20 House of Commons. Ben Bradhaw (Labour)<<The last thing that our country and economy need on top of coronavirus is the further shock of a hard or no-deal Brexit at the end of this year. Will the Foreign Secretary and his EU colleagues urgently agree an extension to the current Brexit transition period so that the Government and business can focus 100% on the emergency in front of us?>>https://www.theyworkf oryou.com/debates/?id=2020-03-17a.799.0&s=Brexit+transition+extension#g811.5

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

04/05/2020 House of Commons. Layla Moran Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Education)<<A YouGov poll released this weekend showed that half the population now think that the transition period should be extended, versus 35% who think the Government should press ahead. The public know that kicking the economy when it is down, especially with a no-deal Brexit on top of a covid crash, is in no one’s best interests. The right hon. Gentleman said just now that there was a deal, but he knows full well that that is the withdrawal agreement and not the future deal that will determine the trade relationship. No deal is still on the table, so will the Government consider asking for even a short extension to avoid a no-deal Brexit, or are they intent on putting ideology before pragmatism?>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-05-04a.416.7

Stewart Hosie MP (SNP)

13/05/2020 House of Commons. Stewart Hosie Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Trade)<<Both Covid and Brexit are suppressing trade and damaging jobs and the economy and while we hope that, as Covid ends, global trade will bounce back, there is no guarantee that that will happen quickly. The Prime Minister could mitigate some of this damage by seeking an extension to the Brexit transitional period. Will he explain to the House why he is being so negligent in not seeking that transitional extension now?>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/?p=11973

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Gavin Newlands MP (SNP)

04/06/2020 House of Commons. Gavin Newlands Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Transport)<<Does the Secretary of State agree with the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, who warns that the tourism industry, which is already deprived of vital foreign workers due to visa restrictions and which supports more than 200,000 jobs and contributes over £7 billion to the Scottish economy, now faces the double whammy of a no-deal Brexit combined with the ongoing impact of covid-19? Does this not justify a further extension of the job retention scheme to support the sector, and an extension of the transition period to avoid a deeply damaging no-deal scenario, compounding the horrendous coronavirus circumstances?>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-06-04b.989.1&s=Brexit+transition+extension#g990.3

Michael Russell MSP (Scottish National Party)

03/06/2020 Scottish Parliament Michael Russell Scottish National Party<<Today, I will update Parliament on the Scottish Government’s view of the current negotiations on that future relationship. We believe that it is not and will not be possible to conduct and conclude those negotiations and implement the results within the truncated timescale that has been set for them and in the context of an unprecedented global pandemic and a catastrophic economic recession, which might turn out to be the worst in 300 years.Therefore, in our view, it is essential that the UK indicates that it will seek to extend the transition period for up to two years, as provided for in the withdrawal agreement. To refuse to seek that extension—which the EU has indicated would be readily granted—is a reckless act that will destroy thousands of jobs, undermine an already fragile economy and devastate communities across Scotland when we are most vulnerable. After the end of this month, it will not be possible to extend under the terms of the withdrawal agreement, and no other plausible route to an extension has been put forward. The deadline at the end of June is therefore real.>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/sp/?id=2020-06-03.24.0&s=Brexit+transition+extension#g24.2

Stewart Hosie MP (SNP)

13/05/2020 House of Commons. Stewart Hosie Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Trade)<<Both covid and Brexit are suppressing trade and damaging jobs and the economy and while we hope that, as covid ends, global trade will bounce back, there is no guarantee that that will happen quickly. The Prime Minister could mitigate some of this damage by seeking an extension to the Brexit transitional period. Will he explain to the House why he is being so negligent in not seeking that transitional extension now?>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-05-13b.246.6

Gavin Newlands MP (SNP)

04/06/2020 House of Commons. Gavin Newlands Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Transport)Does the Secretary of State agree with the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, who warnsthat the tourism industry, which is already deprived of vital foreign workers due to visa restrictions and which supports more than 200,000 jobs and contributes over £7 billion to the Scottish economy, now faces the double whammy of a no-deal Brexit combined with the ongoing impact of covid-19? Does this not justify a further

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extension of the job retention scheme to support the sector, and an extension of the transition period to avoid a deeply damaging no-deal scenario, compounding the horrendous coronavirus circumstances?https://www.theywo rkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-06-04b.989.1&s=Brexit+transition+extension#g990.3

Lord Fox (Liberal Democrat)

04/04/2020 House of Lords: Lord Fox, Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) 3:12 pm, 4th June 2020I am not calling to cancel Brexit—we have left the EU—but for any Government to allow the full effects of a no-deal Brexit on top of the economic shock of Covid is careless with people’s lives and prospects. As the noble Lord, Lord Low, and my noble friend Lord Shipley highlighted, there needs to be an extension to the transition period of two years to allow the Covid-19 pandemic to be managed strategically and carefully. Does the Ministeragree that it is far more sensible to give ourselves time to get the best possible trading arrangements with the EU and other third countries before we shut the door on our favourable deal with the rest of Europe? https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?i d=2020-06-04b.1459.0&s=Brexit+transition+extension#g1491.0

Baroness Kramer (Liberal Democrat)

11/06/2020 House of Lords: Baroness Kramer Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy) 1:07 pm, 11th June 2020<<Lastly, in dealing with Brexit we must not take a “charge of the Light Brigade” approach. A senseless order must be countermanded and an effective negotiating strategy put in place to conclude transition, even if it means an extension.>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2020-06-11a.1851.2&s=Brex it+transition+extension#g1856.1

Wales for Europe 13/06/2020 Statement: We still need to extend the transition period and avoiding ‘no deal’ is not good enough<<Wales for Europe deeply regrets that the UK Government is putting ideology ahead of the national interest and the country’s health in refusing to seek an extension to the transition period while we fight the Covid-19 crisis.We call on the government to reconsider before the 30thJune deadline. This is the only responsible action for anyUK government to take in the light of the Covid-19 crisis.We also call on the people of Wales who are concerned about their future – from politicians to pensioners, students to small business owners, farmers to families – to speak up against a rushed deal that is not in our social or economic interest.(.....)The First Ministers of Wales and Scotland, Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon, in a joint letter to the Prime Minister on 12th June have stated that, in the current circumstances, “exiting the transition period at the end of the year would be extraordinarily reckless”.We agree. There is too much at stake. It is unacceptable that the UK Government should have dismissed their

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request out of hand.Boris Johnson’s government could choose to gain more time. It could choose to do better by the people of the UK. It is refusing to do so.(...)>>https://www.walesforeurope.org/articles/statement-13-06-2020/

Rushanara Ali MP (Labour, Bethnal Green and Bow)

04/06/2020 House of Commons. Rushanara Ali MP (Labour, Bethnal Green and Bow) 4 June, 2020<<"The deal we strike must protect our citizens’ wellbeing and security. That is the first duty of any Government. Ministers have insisted on sticking to the timetable drawn up before the extraordinary challenges posed by the pandemic. It is striking that recently two thirds of the British people said they agreed with the statement that the Government should request an extension to the transition period in order to focus properly on corona- virus and dealing with its consequences. Ministers’ timetables take no account of the disruption to the negotiations because of covid, nor the dramatic effect on our economy. I do not need to emphasise the Bank of England’s prediction that we face the worst economic slump for more than 300 years, with unemployment set to double this year and youth unemployment set to reach 1 million".>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-06-04b.1093.0

David Lammy MP (Labour, Tottenham),Wes Streeting MP (Labour), Stephen Farry MP (Alliance,North Down)

18/03/2020 <<Brexit DELAY: Labour MP pushes for extension due to coronavirus chaos by Ciaran McGrath Labour MP Wes Streeting has joined party colleague David Lammy in linking the ongoing coronavirus crisis to demands for the Government to shelve Brexit talks and extend the transition period beyond the end of the year.Mr Streeting tweeted a Government statement confirming the delay of the latest round of talks, which also reaffirmed the commitment of "both sides" to the negotiation process. He commented: "This is not a sustainable position." He subsequently responded to a post by HMRC which referred to the reintroduction of border controlsin January 2021, posting: "The idea that businesses should be contending with this in the current crisis exposes the utter stupidity of pretending that the transition period won’t need to be extended.”Labour MP for Tottenham David Lammy made similar remarks to Mr Streeting earlier this month, tweeting: "The government can't negotiate the future of Britain's trade with the EU in a few months during what could well become a global coronavirus pandemic.“Boris Johnson needs to swallow his pride and put the national interest first.”During a sparsely attended PMQs today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was pushed about whether a one-year extension could be sought for the UK's Brexit implementation process in the light of the ongoing crisis.DUP MP Stephen Farry (North Down) said: "Defeating the coronavirus must be the top, indeed the only priority, for the forseeable future."There's already huge anxiety across the UK, businesses are facing unprecedented challenge and uncertainty. So

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regardless of Leave or Remain, how quickly will the Prime Minister recognise the inevitable and seek at least a one-year extension to the Brexit implementation process?”https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1256948/brexi t-news-coronavirus-uk-labour-wes-streeting-david-lammy-transition-delay-eu-rees-mogg Plus added material (italics)

Jeremy Miles MS, Welsh Government

12/06/2020 Key recent developments in Wales and Scotland, reported by Wales for Europe:<< Here is the statement from Jeremy Miles MS, Counsel General and Minister for European Transition, standout quote: ‘Voluntarily putting our country through this at a time when we should be focusing on how we recover from the enormous economic shock caused by the Covid crisis is reckless and unnecessary.’ https://gov.wales/written-statement-eu-transition-period-extension

This followed the decision by Miles and his Scottish counterparts not to attend a scheduled conference call of theJoint Ministerial Committee on European Negotiations, stating ‘We cannot accept a way of working in which theviews of the devolved governments are simply dismissed before we have had a chance to discuss them.'https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53019046

That followed Gove's announcement, just hours after Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon repeated their calls tothe PM to request and extension, stating that ‘exiting the transition period at the end of the year would be extraordinarily reckless’. https://www.walesonlin e.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-wales-scotland-first-ministers-18408707

Jennifer Dixon, Health Foundation and Ipsos Mori

13/06/2020 <<Majority of Britons back Brexit extension to help beat coronavirusA no-deal Brexit later this year during winter and amid coronavirus would be ‘a vicious, and avoidable, combination of risks’ says by Shaun Lintern

More than half of Britons now support an extension to the Brexit transition period this year with this rising to two-thirds of people when potential shortages of medical supplies are factored in.New research by the Health Foundation and Ipsos Mori suggests the coronavirus outbreak has reshaped views of the EU and Britain’s link with the continent with a clear majority of the public supporting closer working withthe EU to tackle the virus.A representative study involving 1,983 people at the start of May found 95 per cent of the UK support closer working with the EU.

As part of a wider survey of people’s experiences during the outbreak, 77 per cent said the UK should work

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“very closely” with the EU on Covid-19 responses with another 17 per cent saying it should work “fairly closely” with the EU. (…)Of those surveyed by Ipsos Mori, almost all of those who voted Remain in the EU Referendum (99 per cent) supported working closely with the EU to combat the pandemic, and over nine in ten (91per cen) of those who voted Leave also supported closer collaboration.Using two sample groups Ipsos Mori found 54 per cent of people said the government should request a Brexit extension beyond 31 December.A second group were given information that was in line with government estimates about potential delays to the supply of medicines and medical devices in the event of a no-deal. In total 65 per cent, two thirds, believed there should be an extension, 31 per cent said no.Young people, aged 18 to 24, were far more likely to support an extension.The Health Foundation warned a no-deal Brexit later this year would damage health and social care services.Jennifer Dixon, chief executive, said: “Covid-19 has put the government, the economy, the NHS and social careunder intense pressure.“This winter a no-deal Brexit could exacerbate already acute shortages in the NHS and social care workforce andcreate new avoidable shortages of medicines and vital supplies. This would come at the same time as the health service is facing significant pressures from seasonal flu, supporting people recovering from Covid-19, tackling the large backlog of patients who didn’t receive care during lockdown, and potentially coping with another wave of infection from the coronavirus.“This would be a vicious, and avoidable, combination of risks.”She added: “The public understandably prefer protection from risks that can be anticipated and avoided. This research suggests the public clearly prioritise the management of the coronavirus pandemic, and collaboration with the EU.”The survey also found four fifths of Remain voters backed an extension to the transition while 66 per cent of Leave voters opposed an extension. Almost 40 per cent of Leave voters backed an extension once informed of the implications of a no deal scenario.There were also variations among voters at different educational levels with people with at least a degree more likely to say the government should request an extension compared with those only with GCSEs or equivalent.The survey was conducted by using a representative sample of people aged 18 and over between 1 and 10 May 2020.A total of 1,983 people were interviewed with quotas set on age, gender, region and working status and data weighted to be representative of the population.

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>>https://www.independen t.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-brexit-extension-leave-eu-health-foundation-ipsos-mori-a9562511.html https://www.theguard ian.com/politics/2020/jun/13/more-than-half-of-british-people-support-brexit-transition-extension https://www.euronews .com/2020/06/14/more-than-half-of-britons-support-extending-brexit-transition-period-due-to-covid-19 https://corporatedispatch.com/half-of-british-vo ters-support-brexit-transition-extension/

Stephen Dorrell, European Movement

12/06/2020 <<Stephen Dorrell: Decision Not To Seek Extension 'Reckless' Responding to Michael Gove’s confirmation today that the UK will not be asking for an extension to the Brexit transition period, European Movement Chair and Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell said: "In choosing not to extend the transition period, the government is choosing to put ideology before country. Just this morning, it was announced that Britain’s GDP shrank by 20.4% in April - the largest monthly drop on record. At a time when we are facing the biggest public health crisis in over a century and Coronavirus is alreadywreaking havoc on our economy, now is not the time for the government to recklessly flirt with a No-Deal Brexitthat will further endanger people’s livelihoods.">>https://www.europeanmovement.co.uk/stephen_dorrell_extension_reckless

European Movement Greater London

12/06/2020 <<European Movement Greater London Branch Chairs' Letter: The Government must extend the EU transition periodThe Government appears on course to crash us out of the EU negotiations at the end of this month.The resulting No Deal Brexit crisis will be on top of the catastrophic health, social and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Government’s own reports, a No Deal Brexit will lead to shortages of medicine and food, regulatory obstacles, bureaucratic delays and costly tariffs at borders, and a further 9.3% lossin GDP.The Government cannot deal with two major crises at once. It must focus on defeating the coronavirus pandemic, not compound it with an unnecessary Government-made crisis.

We, including all 21 European Movement branch chairs across London, urge every Londoner to contact their MP and assembly member to demand the Government focus on one crisis at a time, and to legislate for a two year extension to the EU transition period which would secure the best deal for Britain.Nick Hopkinson, European Movement regional representative for Greater LondonJo Pye, European Movement regional representative for Greater London

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Alex Goulds, Bromley4EuropeLily Oestreicher, Chipping Barnet 4 EuropeRichard Wassell, EM City (of London) and EastMaria Klos, Croydon for EuropeCorinne Firket, EM EalingGeorge Stevenson, Enfield for Europe;Rebecca Ireland, Greenwich for EuropeMike Vessey, EM Hammersmith Kensington Chelsea and FulhamMelinda Elson, EM HaringeyDavid Keys, EM Harrow and HillingdonJudith Palmer and Luisa Fulci, Islington in EuropeMargaret Lochrie, EM KingstonHeather Glass, Lambeth for EuropeGareth Steel and Nick Hill, Lewisham East for EuropeTony Lloyd, Lewisham is for EuropeRichard Newcombe, London4EuropeBrigid Gardner, South Southwark for EuropeAlan White, Streatham for EuropeRichard Newcombe, EM Waltham ForestBarbara Callender, EM Wandsworth and MertonBruce Dickson, West London Grassroots for Europehttps://www.london4europe.co.uk/the_government_must_extend_the_eu_transition_period >>

Michelle O’Neill (Sinn Féin)

12/06/2020 << Careless and shameful of British Government not to seek Brexit extension – O’NeillSinn Féin Leas Uachtarán (and Joint Head of Government) Michelle O’Neill said today it is completely careless and shameful that the British government has not sought an extension to the Brexit transition from the EU and has shown a complete disregard for the economy in the north.Michelle O’Neill was speaking after she participated in meeting of the British Government-EU Joint Committee today on the implementation of the Irish Protocol, alongside Arlene Foster as Joint Heads of Government, EU Chief negotiator Michel Barnier, European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič and British Minister Michael Gove MP.>>https://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/57097 <<County Down is a border County with the Republic of Ireland and the tourism and business interface with its neighbour is important. And Newry City too right on the border, will be looking at an uncertain future if a bad Brexit

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unfolds.Sinn Féin Leas Uachtarán Michelle O’Neill said: “It is completely careless and shameful that the British government has not sought an extension to the Brexit transition from the EU and has shown a complete disregard for the economy in the North.”>>(14/06/2020)https://downnews.co.uk/oneill-angered-as-uk-government-ignores-brexit-extension/

Juliet Lodge, Yorkshire Bylines

12/06/2020 <<No Auf Wiedersehen Pet by Juliet Lodge.Our friends in the north, meanwhile, took to mounting a protest outside Nissan’s Washington factory in Sunderland. The North East is the worst affected Covid-19 area in England at the moment, but the Nissanprotest showed how to make a point while wearing masks and observing the six-person and social-distancing rules. The workforce drove in and out honking support. Some 7,000 risk being unemployed if Nissan goes, and thousands more down the supply line. Nissan had government sweeteners to stay, at least until four or five years after the end of the transition period, yet still it has warned an apparently deaf government of impending disaster. (…)Finishing the transition period with no trade deal agreed with the EU27 is a blatant breach of what the government had agreed with the EU and what it had promised the electorate. It is bad faith at best and downright lies at worst. Whether the intention is to appease US and other foreign interests is not the point. The point is that all of us are being betrayed, and none more so than our children and grandchildren. The Nissan protest personified us all: little people standing up for what is right against the overwhelming and fierce disregard for us all, exemplified by a government bent on destruction. The mountainous evidence against the government is terrifying. All of us should take heed. >>https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/no-auf-wiedersehen-pet/

Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish first minister and Mark Drakeford, Welsh first minister

12/06/2020 <<Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford write to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request an extension to the Brexit transition period which is due to end on 31 December >>https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1271386195633807361?s=2<<”But leaders of two of the UK’s devolved administrations on Friday called on Mr Johnson to reverse course. Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland, and Mark Drakeford, her counterpart in Wales, said the lack of time left before the UK left the EU risked a “damaging ‘bare bones’ trade deal or even worse, a disastrous no-deal outcome”. “While we hope that the second half of this year will see the beginnings of a recovery, we believe that exiting the transition period at the end of the year would be extraordinarily reckless,” they added. “It would pile a further very significant economic and social shock on top of the Covid-19 crisis, hitting businesses whose reserves, in many cases, have already been exhausted.” >>

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https://www.ft.com/content/f92e799d-7bac-4432-bb3f-9b21a6b0af85 https://www.itv.com/news/2020-06-12/first-ministers-demand-brexit-extension-in-light-of-coronavirus-crisis/ http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/article.cfm?id=133238&headline=First%20Minister%20calls%20for%20extension%20to%20Brexit%20transition%20period&sectionIs=news&searchyear =2020

Best for Britain 11/06/2020 Best for Britain<<Are businesses prepared for what comes next?Key Findings

77% of business owners support an indefinite extension to the transition period 72% think the Government will simply fail to get any kind of deal with the EUMore than 90% of respondents feel the Government is handling negotiations with the EU badly86% are concerned for the financial position of their business if the UK leaves transition without a deal during the coronavirus crisis28% say they expect to survive Covid-19 but that no deal at the end of the year will put them at risk

https://www.bestforbritain.org/business-reporthttps://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/b4b/pages/2460/attachments/original/1591878886/Are_businesses_prepared_for_what_comes_next_-_Best_for_Brit ain.pdf

Reuters 10/06/2020 <<OECD warns of UK jobs hit with no EU deal or transition delay by William Schomberg, editing by Michael Holden.Britain risks a big hit to trade and jobs if it cannot strike a post-Brexit deal with the European Union by the end of 2020 or fails to extend its current Brexit transition, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said on Wednesday.Risks around Britain’s future relationship with the EU were compounding the uncertainty about the duration of COVID-19 restrictions on the economy, the OECD said.“The failure to conclude a trade deal with the European Union by the end of 2020 or put in place alternative arrangements would have a strongly negative effect on trade and jobs,” it said in an update of itsglobal economic forecasts.Earlier, the OECD said Britain, with its huge services industry that has been hammered by the coronavirus shutdown, was expected to see the worst downturn among the countries it covers with the economy forecast to contract 11.5% this year.>>https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-oecd/oecd-warns-of-uk-jobs-hit-with-no-eu-deal-or-transiti on-delay-idUKKBN23H1HI

Dr David Nicholl, 11/06/2020 <<Bromsgrove Lib Dems claim Brextension is needed because of time lost to Covid-19

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Liberal Democrats West Midlands, Councillor Janet King (Liberal Democrat), Bromsgrove

Former Chancellor and Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid is facing calls to back an extension to the Brexit transition period if no trade deal with the EU is reached by the end of the month.Hagley doctor David Nicholl, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for health in the West Midlands, said in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic an extension was needed.Dr Nicholl said such a move would not prevent Brexit from happening and pointed to a YouGov poll in April which showed 56 per cent of people backed an extension and only 27 per cent were against it because of the negotiating time lost dealing with the Coronavirus crisis.(...)Dr Nicholl said: “I highlighted the risks of patient harm from a no deal Brexit last year.“This week the UK pharmaceutical industry warned some stockpiles of medical supplies have been ‘used up entirely’ by the fight against Covid-19.“Polling shows that the majority of people support an extension so that we manage our exit from the EU safely, without harming patients.”Dr Nicholl had previously written to Sajid Javid asking how many trade deals have been agreed so far and was informed the Government has identified 2,100 agreements with the EU and was prioritising replacing 176 of them.Liberal Democrat councillor Janet King echoed the calls, saying: “It is very unlikely that a good deal with the EU can be achieved by the end of this year and there is a real danger of leaving with no deal.“Coming as it does straight after the Covid-19 lockdown the UK economy would go into free fall with food prices rising and a real risk of a bad trade deal with the US.”https://br omsgrovestandard.co.uk/news/bromsgrove-lib-dems-claim-brextension-is-needed-because-of-time-lost-to-covid-19/

European Policy Centre.

11/06/2020 European Policy Centre. <<Tobias Lock, Jannike Wachowiak, Fabian Zuleeg. The Brexit transition extension 2.0. At the moment, Boris Johnson believes the immense time pressure to agree on a deal by the end of the year will concentrate minds and result in last-minute concessions from the EU. Once he realises that the EU is not willing to compromise the integrity of the Single Market to grant him the deal he wants, the question about how to secure more time might be back on the agenda. While concluding a mixed agreement is legally speaking the soundest option, a lot of obstacles remain. It involves a lengthy ratification process and the likely return of vested interests and political disagreements that might rise to the surface within the UK and the EU. Overall, it is highly uncertain whether a late extension request can still be accommodated. By letting the deadline under the Withdrawal Agreement pass, the UK government increases the chances for a no deal outcome. (….)If the British government decides to let the deadline pass without such a request, as it is adamantly

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indicating, the likelihood of no (trade) deal being concluded increases yet again. There is, of course, a chance that Boris Johnson will change his mind later this year and request more time at the very last minute. However, this form of brinkmanship might well backfire, and the British government should be aware of the various legal and political pitfalls of opting for a late extension request.>> http://www .epc.eu/en/publications/The-Brexit-transition-extension-20~344ab8 https://wms.flexious.be/editor/plugins/imagemanager/content/2140 /PDF/2020/Brexit_transition_extension_2_0.pdf >>

The Economist 11/06/2020 The Economist, Leader: <<Boris Johnson’s government should prolong the Brexit transitionBritain needs a trade deal more than the EU doesThe obvious solution is for Mr Johnson, when he meets EU leaders virtually next week, to ask for an extension. Voters think he should, according to most polls. Yet he refuses to do so.Mr Johnson says that to extend transition would betray those who voted for Brexit. Yet Brexit happened in January: the only question now is whether it is orderly or disorderly. Mr Johnson also says Britain may have to pay vast extra sums into the EU budget, and even contribute to its new rescue fund. But though there would be a bill to pay, the treaty says it is negotiable; and since Britain is no longer in the common agricultural policy, the bill should be a lot smaller than were its dues as a member.Would staying in transition constrain Britain’s response to covid-19 through state subsidies, as opponents of an extension also argue? No, because the eu’s state-aid rules are suspended. Claims that transition would stop new free-trade deals are misleading, as negotiations with other countries can continue, and in any case none is ready to come into force soon. Suggestions that an extension would prolong uncertainty for businesses are wrongheaded. It is the risk of leaving without a trade deal that troubles firms. They are already hit by covid-19, and unprepared for tariffs, quotas and customs checks.Mr Johnson thinks the EU caves in only under the pressure of time. He believes that his renegotiation of the withdrawal treaty last autumn, after he became prime minister, shows the benefits of going up to the wire. Yet it was not the EU, but Britain, that made the big concession then, by accepting a customs border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. And once again, as last time, Britain needs a deal more than the EU does.Privately, the government believes that covid-19 has reduced the political risk of leaving without a deal, since its costs will be hidden by the greater damage from the pandemic. Yet this argument is not only improperly self-serving but also fallacious. Covid-19 has severely affected non-tradables, such as restaurants and bars, whereas Brexit without a trade deal would hit big exporters such as carmakers (goodbye, Nissan?) as well as creating visible chaos in Dover.A sensible, responsible government would treat an extension of the transition not as a political weapon butas an option contract, for use only if a deal cannot be struck in time. If Mr Johnson continues to reject it

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out of hand he will show his government to be, on the matter of Brexit, neither sensible nor responsible.>>https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/06/13/boris-johnsons-government-shoul d-prolong-the-brexit-transition

CIUS (Committee of European Sugar Users)

11/06/2020 CIUS (Committee of European Sugar Users) (CIUS represents the European sugar-using food and beverage industries.)<<CIUS URGENTLY CALLS FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE BREXIT TRANSITION PERIOD to provide certainty that free trade between the UK and EU will continue (...)Dealing with the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis is a huge challenge. We cannot afford the additional uncertainty, costs and disruption that introduction of customs and trade barriers between the UK and EU on January 1st 2021 will cause. We believe that the best course of action at this point would be for the EU and UK authorities to extend the transition period as provided for in the withdrawal agreement. (...)A NO DEAL (WTO MFN conditions) as of 2021 would be hugely detrimental to our industry, and the whole food supply chain. It will disrupt free trade in food ingredients and products both between the EU and theUK and in international trade, and contribute to further losses in trade, revenue and jobs, especially for small- and medium sized enterprises. (...)In the event of a No Deal with the EU, prohibitively high tariffs - equivalent to approximately 100% - would apply to sugar traded between the EU and the UK. Some sugar users would be forced to change suppliers at a time when they need stability. The costs of doing business would increase in the UK due to the combination of high tariffs, extra bureaucracy, possible shortages in the short term and the effect of duopoly control of the market in the medium- to long term. This would add to food inflationary pressures. Exports of sugar-containing products would be put at risk. In the event of an EU-UK trade agreement, many businesses and consumers in the food and drinks sector will not be able to benefit from free trade unless the right product-specific rules of origin are in place.>>http://cius.org/fileadmin/user_upl oad/documents/2015/CIUS_2020-17.pdf

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

11/06/2020 <<Science is a global collaboration – a hard Brexit could harm efforts to end the pandemicIf we leave without an agreement to associate with the EU’s research programmes, we risk jeopardising vital links between our scientistsVenkatraman Ramakrishnan

Since the referendum, the government has repeatedly said that maintaining the UK’s global strength in

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research and innovation would be a priority, post Brexit.Today we stand just over six months away from a potential no-deal Brexit that would do serious damage toour science.Science is a global collaboration; the UK’s success has been built on that. Europe is by some distance the UK’s biggest and fastest growing scientific collaborator.(...)I understand the political brinkmanship involved in the Brexit negotiations but I wonder if those willing totake us to the brink, and perhaps over it, appreciate the damage that has already been done by the uncertainty, and the damage that will be done in the future.(…)Today, as my colleagues and I have pointed out in our open letter, the huge scientific problems facing globally inter-connected economies, ranging from climate change to artificial intelligence, require shared expertise and research power. (….)Given the damage Covid-19 has inflicted on our economy, it is inconceivable that any government would not do everything in its power to protect its research base. (…)We have heard very positive words from Government about association to the EU programmes, but kind words are not enough. (….)The Covid-19 pandemic has shown just how important research is, both in tackling a pandemic and in rebuildingour economy afterwards. The Government must do whatever is necessary to avoid the threat of a no-deal Brexit and the self-harm it would inflict on UK science. >> https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/sci ence-and-disease/science-global-collaboration-hard-brexit-could-harm-efforts/

Chris Hazzard MP (Sinn Féin)

11/06/2020 <<Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard has reiterated the party’s call for an extension of the Brexit transition period following a warning from the CBI that businesses will not cope with a no-deal Brexit. Speaking the party’s Brexit spokesperson said: “This morning we heard the very real concerns of the head of CBI Carolyn Fairbairn on the threat posed by Brexit to businesses in Britain and the North. “CBI has warned the British Government that businesses simply ‘cannot cope with no deal and virus’. “Our economy is under enormous pressure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; it is clear then that this pandemic coupled with a no deal Brexit would cause a severe economic shock to businesses and our local economy.

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“It is also concerning that the EU has been critical of progress made in Brexit negotiations, describing the lack of progress as 'disappointing'. “As the Brexit deadline approaches, it is vital that the British Government does not continue to act in bad faith, and urgently moves to deliver upon the legal commitments contained in the Withdrawal Agreement and the Irish Protocol. “Our local business community have also been scathing of the lack of engagement and technical detail being supplied to them from the British Government - it is imperative that the British Government work quickly to supply this information and establish education and training resources for local businesses in order to help them meet the demands of trading in the post-Brexit world. “The Brexit deadline should now be extended to avoid a potential crash out, no deal Brexit at the end of the year, which would devastate our economy already weakened by the current pandemic.">>https://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/57089

Louise Brown (group of concernedresidents, Sunderland)

11/06/2020 <<Protestors at Sunderland's Nissan plant call for Brexit extension By Gavin EngelbrechtA group of concerned residents are mounting a protest outside the Nissan's Sunderland plant urging the Government to extend the Brexit transition period.The demonstrators, who complied with Covid-19 and confined themselves to six people social distancing, came out after a warning from Nissan that the Sunderland plant would be "unsustainable" without a trade deal.Campaigner Louise Brown said: "We are a group of local concerned residents who are got a horrible shock when Nissan said last the plant would not be sustainable in the event of a no deal Brexit. We are calling on the Government to extend the Brexit transition period."As someone who grew up around the corner from the Nissan factory, I know just how important it is economically to the region."I find it unfathomable why the Government are refusing to extend the transition period."She added: "This is going to increase the risk of a No Deal Brexit as we know. And with Nissan having said themselves they are not going to be sustainable in the region in in the event of a no-deal Brexit, I just don't know what the Government are playing at."There will be a loss of around 7,000 jobs. Whatever you voted in the referendum you did not vote for this. It is specially mad because we are in the middle of a pandemic and it's bound to effect the EU talks on the deal."The North-East is already the worst affected by the Covid-19 and will be the worst affected by a no deal Brexit."Please let us not revisit our pit closure past and the economic disaster that happened there. Please extend the transition period to save this region from ruin."Ms Brown said, becauses of coronavirus restrictions, only six people were attending, but there were many more who wanted to be there.The protest follows comments from Nissan's global chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta that the car giant would not be able to stand by its commitment to the Sunderland plant if the UK left the European Union without a trade deal that enabled tariff-free EU access.

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He warned: "If we are not getting the current tariffs, it's not our intention but the business will not be sustainable.">>https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/busin ess/18510929.protestors-sunderlands-nissan-plant-call-brexit-extension/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXPPSbPBqqo

Pete Wishart MP (SNP), Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office

10/06/2020 <<UK Government Must Extend Brexit Transition Period or Face Economic DisasterThe SNP has said Scotland and the UK will face “economic disaster” between the risk of a no-deal or hardBrexit and the impact of the coronavirus crisis if the UK government fails to extend the Brexit transition period.(...)Barrie Deas, the Chief Executive of the National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations, said “July lookslike a goner for a deal” as the June deadline for a transition extension request approaches.(...)The SNP Scottish Government has said that ending the Brexit transition this year could remove £3 billion from the Scottish economy in just two years on top of the impact of coronavirus.Commenting, SNP Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, Pete Wishart MP (...)said:“If the UK government do not take the common-sense approach and request an extension for the Brexit transition period then between the risk of a no-deal or hard Brexit and the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, Scotland and the UK will face economic disaster.“The coronavirus crisis has already put businesses under unprecedented financial pressure and crashing out of the EU at the end of this year – with a bad deal or No-Deal - would deliver a devastating economic blow from which many businesses would struggle to recover."Scotland's food and drink, manufacturing, fisheries and agriculture sectors would be particularly badly hit by such an outcome.“An extension is available and Boris Johnson must take it before he inflicts a disastrous hard or no deal Brexit onScotland in less than seven months’ time.”>>http://www.thehighlandtimes.com/news/2020/06/10/uk-government-must-extend-brexit-transition-period-or-face-economic-disaster/

Alistair CarmichaelMP (Liberal Democrats)

11/06/2020 Liberal Democrats <<Our Bill to Extend the Brexit Transition Period By Alistair Carmichael MP We cannot afford to risk a No Deal Brexit. Our Bill would extend the transition period - protecting lives and livelihoods across Britain.This week we should have had the second reading of the Liberal Democrats’ Bill to guarantee an extension to the

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Brexit transition period.Instead the government have ensured that this bill will not progress until after the extension deadlineThe British people deserve better than needlessly risking No Deal/With just over two weeks to go until the deadline for extending the transition period, the timings were already incredibly tight. Those who voted Leave and Remain alike have called for the transition period to be extended. Itmakes no sense to anyone for us to crash out of the EU without a deal in place, especially as we deal with the terrible human cost and economic toll of COVID-19.The stakes couldn't be higher.Just this week, the pharmaceutical industry warned that some stockpiles of medical supplies have been "used up entirely" by the virus. Building these stockpiles back up without a deal with the E.U., and as our healthcare sector faces the winter flu season, will be incredibly difficult.At the same time, coronavirus is wreaking terrible damage to our economy.The economic damage caused by this disease will hit those on lower incomes the hardest. As millions of people across the country have felt anxiety caused by being furloughed, losing business, or being made redundant, the last thing they need is a government willing to risk a chaotic No Deal crash out of the E.U.>>https://www.libdems.org.uk/extend-brexit-transition

The Irish Times 20/05/2020 <<The Irish Times view on the EU-UK talks: trouble aheadLondon’s opposition to an extension of the Brexit transition period shows its approach is driven purely by ideology(….)Even without Covid-19, the sensible course would have been to apply the clause in the withdrawal treaty which allows for the transition period to be extended. That the UK government has set its face against this, despite the epidemic, shows that the priorities of Brexit continue to be driven by ideology, rather than practicalities and common sense. Running the risk of adding a Brexit economic shock to the enormous cost of the pandemic is ludicrous. (…)The tariff schedules published by London show the disruption to trade which not doing a deal would create. Irishagriculture and the food sector would be particularly exposed. The matters to be agreed also include the separate application of the Northern Ireland protocol, the deal agreed late in the day to allow the UK to exit while avoiding the need for checks and controls at the Irish Border. The application of this agreement was always going to be contentious and the publication by the UK of its view of how this should work confirms this. (…)

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This issue will be dealt with separately from the main Brexit trade talks, though the two are obviously linked. As ever, the problem in striking a deal is that Brexit is essentially an exercise in damage limitation. >>https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/the-irish-times-view-on-the-eu-uk-talks-trouble-ahead-1.4258564

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI.

11/06/2020 <<Firms can't cope with no deal and virus - CBI boss by Simon JackBritish firms do not have the resilience to cope with a no-deal Brexit after the battering of the coronavirus crisis, according to the outgoing boss of industry body the CBI.Carolyn Fairbairn said a CBI member had likened a no-deal to "setting the shed on fire" while the house was in flames.(…)Dame Carolyn Fairbairn told the BBC that any buffers to cope with the additional cost and planning of an exit from the EU customs union and single market without a deal had been exhausted by the Covid-19 pandemic."The resilience of British business is absolutely on the floor," she said."Every penny of cash that had been stored up, all the stockpiles prepared have been run down."The firms that I speak to have not a spare moment to plan for a no trade deal Brexit at the end of the year - that is the common sense voice that needs to find its way into these negotiations."(…)The devastating impact of Covid-19 and the fight for business survival has diverted management attentionaway from any Brexit contingency planning, according to Dame Carolyn, who worries that a political commitment to abandon the current transitional trading arrangements - come what may - will add to the burden on business at a critical moment."As one member put it to me - just because the house is on fire, it doesn't make it ok to set fire to the garden shed."If we have a political timescale that takes us to a brinksmanship deal in December that will be catastrophic for British business - they will not be ready."Small businesses were not ready last time there was a no-deal Brexit threat - this time they will not have had a moment to prepare for it."(...)>>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53002961https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/no-deal-brexit-after-coronavirus-carolyn-fairbairn-boris-johnson-a4466091.html https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/11/economy/uk-coronavirus-brexit-business/index.ht ml https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/11/no-deal-brexit-would-be-major-block-to-uks-recovery-warns-cbi

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Professor CatherineBarnard and Professor Alison Young

20/04/2020 <<Delivering an extension of the transition period. and Professor Alison YoungIf the government were to decide an extension of the transition period is necessary, what would need to be done to deliver it under UK law? Would another Act of Parliament be required? Not necessarily. >>https://ukandeu.ac.uk/delivering-an-extension-of-the-transition-period/

Shane Brennan, Cold Chain Federation; Peter MacSwinney, Agency Sector Management

10/06/2020 Yorkshire Bylines.<< Freight boss tells Gove: “don’t patronise us” by Anthony Robinson.The simmering row between road hauliers and the government burst into the open yesterday when the chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation told Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, “don’t patronise us.”Shane Brennan had just become aware of Gove’s comments in front of the future relationship select committee on 27 May. He tweeted his frustration at the minister’s apparent cheap dismissal of industry concerns about a total lack of preparedness for leaving the customs union and the single market at the end of the year.Brennan’s outburst came on the same day that the chair of a major software company providing solutions for freight forwarders and logistics businesses, described the end of December time frame for implementing newchecks on goods moving between GB and Northern Ireland as “not viable.”This is according to a report in the American Journal of Transportation dated 9 June. Agency Sector Management (ASM), based in Ashford, Kent was formed in 1994 by the British International Freight Association (BIFA) to provide technology and support for the freight forwarders who are members of BIFA. (…)Peter MacSwinney, chair of ASM said: “If we were speaking of having a working system in place by 2025, that would be one thing. Brexit is little more than six months away and, without official guidance, the freight community is genuinely concerned that trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, in both directions, willbe severely affected.” He goes on to say: “Although we do know there have to be Customs declarations, we do not know what the actual process is going to be, though the Government has said there is no need for a new physical Customs infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Implementation timescales have now become a critical factor, and, to that extent, a 12-month extension of the transition period (our emphasis) would offer the possibility of a practical solution.” An update regarding Brexit on the company’s website says“We, along with most other trade bodies, are sceptical about the achievability of the dates announced by Customs, (our emphasis) for a number of mostly technical reasons.”>>https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/freight-boss-tell-gove-dont-patronise-us/

Louise Brown, Sunderland

10/06/2020 <<Nissan protest planned as no-deal Brexit fears continue to grow. By Ian JohnsonIt follows a warning that the site would be "unsustainable" without a deal in place

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A protest to urge the Government to extend the Brexit transition period will be held outside the Nissan factory.It follows a warning from Nissan that the Sunderland plant would be "unsustainable" without a trade deal.When Britain left the EU in January, it entered into the transition period, which ends on December 31.It allows the UK to continue its current relationship with the EU while negotiating aspects such as trade deals and security.The transition period can be extended by two years, although any extension must be signed off by July 1.Some, like Louise Brown, fear that would lead to a no-deal Brexit.She's the spokesperson for Thursday's protest, and believes that would immensely damage the region's economy.As someone who grew up around the corner from the Nissan factory, I know just how important it is to the region," she said."With the news that the plant is not sustainable in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it beggars belief that this government are not going to ask for an extension to the transition period.This increases the risk of a no-deal Brexit and thus Nissan leaving our region, taking its 7,000 jobs with it."Over 60% of people in Sunderland voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.However Louise added: "Whichever way you voted in the EU referendum, it was probably not for this scenario."In the middle of a pandemic, it is utter madness not to extend to prevent such a no-deal scenario.">>https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/nissan-protest-planned-no-deal-18391987

Claire Hanna MP (SDLP, South Belfast)

10/06/2020 <<Northern Ireland firms moving jobs to Republic due to Brexit, MP told South Belfast SDLP MP Claire Hanna drew Ms Mordaunt's attention to last week's Assembly vote calling for an extension to the Brexit transition period.She said: "The Government insisted that the Northern Ireland Assembly should have the final say on the protocol."The Assembly finally gave a say on Brexit when it voted last week to request an extension to the transition period to allow businesses, which are currently in the fight of their lives due to Covid, to adapt and to have the certainty that the minister refers to."If the Northern Ireland Assembly's consent is so vital, should the Government not listen to what it says?">>https://www.belfastteleg raph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/northern-irel and-firms-moving-jobs-to-republic-due-to-brexit-mp-told-39273838.html

Copa and Cogeca, Celcaa and FoodDrinkEurope

10/06/2020 <<EU agri-food chain warns of ‘growing risk’ of no UK-EU trade deal. By Chloe RyanThree European food and farming organisations have called for an extenstion on the post-Brexit transition period to avoid a cliff edge exit at the end of the year, should trade negotiations fail.Copa and Cogeca, Celcaa and FoodDrinkEurope are particularly concerned about the limited amount of time

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available in which to conclude and ratify a trade deal. “We regret that the UK government is currently opposed to any extension of the post-Brexit transition period beyond 2020,” the organisations said in a joint statement. “The transition should be of sufficient length for businesses to plan and prepare for any FTA arrangements, and to avoid a cliff-edge situation.”(...)The combination of no agreement and no extension of transitional arrangements would have significant negative consequences for the EU agri-food sector, the statement said.(..)EU agri-food trade with the UK amounted to €58 billion in 2019. The groups are concerned the failure to conclude a zero tariff, zero quota FTA would have serious consequences for the agri-food sector both in the EU and the UK. >>http://www.poultrynews.co.uk/business-politics/eu-politics/eu-agri-food-chain-warns-of-growing-risk-of-no-uk-eu-trade-deal.html

Michel Barnier, European Union

10/06/2020 EU 'willing to listen' to case for Scottish Brexit extension by Kathleen NuttTHE European Commission’s chief trade negotiator has signalled he is “willing to listen” to any request for a Scotland-only extension to the current transition period.Michel Barnier’s intervention comes after former First Minister Henry McLeish urged Nicola Sturgeon to seek an extension if the UK Government continues to insist it will not do so.He agreed with the assessment that a No-deal Brexit would hamper the country’s recovery from the pandemic and that such a move would be highly damaging.A Scottish-wide extension move would allow the country to remain in the single market and customs union once the current transition period ends on December 31 this year – and if the rest of the UK moves to trade on WTO rules.Asked if the EU would consider a request for a Scotland-only extension to the implementation period, Barnier’s spokesman told The National the Commission was “willing to listen” but that negotiations had to respect the UKconstitutional arrangements (under which the member state is the UK).“The European Commission is willing to listen to a variety of institutional players and stakeholders.“But negotiations will only take place with the UK Government, in full respect of the internal constitutional arrangements of the UK,” he said. >>https://www.thenational.scot/news/18506776.eu-willing-listen-scotlands-request-brexit-extension/

Richard Wilson, Leeds for Europe

10/06/2020 << LETTERS. Richard Wilson, Chair, Leeds for Europe.‘Brexit talks are going even worse than pandemic’I was initially perplexed by AJA Smith’s letter (‘Nissan’s decision is a vote of confidence in Brexit Britain’, The Yorkshire Post, June 5).

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It was published only a day after a great deal of coverage of fresh doubts about the future of Nissan’s Sunderlandplant. In fairness, the letter was probably written before Nissan’s CEO said it could not stand by its commitment to Sunderland if the UK cannot secure tariff-free access to the European Union.If there is one thing this Government has handled more poorly than its virus response, and the Dominic Cummings affair, then it is the EU transition talks.There is now a very real risk that Britain will crash out of the EU without a deal at the end of this year.The Government must soon decide – by the end of this month, in fact – whether to instead pause Brexit and accept Brussels’ offer of a two-year extension to the talks.Nissan workers in Sunderland would be among many who would welcome such an extension, I should imagine.>>https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/brexit-talks-are-going-even-worse-pandemic-yorkshire-post-letters-2879306#gsc.tab=0

Alistair CarmichaelMP (Liberal Democrat)

10/06/2020 <<Bradford Liberal DemocratsResponding to reports the UK Government will tell the EU on Friday it is not going to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period, Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: "Food shortages, medicine shortages, and an unprecedented hit to jobs and livelihoods: that is what the UK is facing if we crash out of the EU without a deal."Boris Johnson's ideological stubbornness will see the most vulnerable in our country hit hardest."With the country is already struggling as a result of Covid-19, it beggars belief that the Government are happy to pile Brexit on top of this already devastating situation."Liberal Democrats will continue to urge the Government to think again and extend the transition period.">>https://www.bradfordlibdems.org.uk/govt_wrong_to_deny_brexit_extension

Michel Barnier, European Union

10/06/2020 <<Extend Brexit transition period to save stalling trade talks, EU urges Boris JohnsonChief negotiator Michel Barnier says EU wants extensionThe EU's chief negotiator has called for an extension to the Brexit transition period in a bid to save stalling trade talks and prevent a no-deal.Michel Barnier told a committee in Brussels that the European Commission supported an extension beyond the end of the year to give negotiators more time, The EU has previously said it is open to an extension but has shied away from actively calling for one. But as thedeadline to extend looms at the end of this month, Mr Barnier's position has shifted.with scant progress so far.The EU has previously said it is open to an extension but has shied away from actively calling for one. But as thedeadline to extend looms at the end of this month, Mr Barnier's position has shifted.

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"We are in favour of an extension, particularly given the current circumstances," Mr Barnier told a meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee.>>https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-extension-trade-talks-eu-boris-johnson-a9559156.html

21 leading research scientists in the UK

08/06/2020 <<OPEN LETT ER TO THE PRIME MINISTERFROM LEADING RESEARCH SCIENTISTS IN THE UK

Rt Hon Boris Johnson, MP10 Downing StreetLondonSW1A 2AL

Monday, 8th June 2020

Dear Prime Minister,

Impact on Science Research of Brexit Transition Termination

The response to Covid-19 has shown how international collaboration has been essential for rapid progress in understanding the disease. No single nation has the expertise or innovative pipeline and power to characterize thevirus, develop a vaccine for it and distribute that vaccine globally.

The huge scientific problems facing globally inter-connected economies, ranging from climate change to artificial intelligence, require shared expertise and research power. There is a wonderful vehicle for galvanizing and funding such collaborative research and innovation, the European Research Area.

The UK played a major role in the creation of the ERA and defining its ways of working and has led manyof its most significant research efforts. But our involvement is now in jeopardy with the prospect of a No-Deal Brexit.

We believe that the Government should take whatever time is needed to negotiate a productive future relationship with the EU, including UK research and the ERA. This can only benefit both parties and is manifestly in the long-term interest of the UK and all its citizens.

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Covid-19 has inflicted a severe setback to our economy and to future prospects of our youth. Recovery from such a setback will require a strong research and innovation base and a No-Deal Brexit would severely damage it. It would erode the attractiveness of our universities to talent from around the globe and the attractiveness of the UK as a location for leading science and technology businesses, at precisely a time when those goals are under threat due to the pandemic.

We believe a No-Deal Brexit will cause unnecessary and possibly long-term damage because of an arbitrary timeline set before the pandemic.

Yours faithfully,

Venki Ramakrishan, Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2000, President of the Royal SocietySir Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2001Martin Rees FRS, Baron Rees of LudlowNiall FitzGerald KBE, Chairman – Leverhulme TrustProfessor Daniel Anthony, University of OxfordProfessor Dorothy Bishop, University of OxfordProfessor Edward Bullmore, University of CambridgeProfessor Roger Crisp, University of OxfordProfessor Annette Dolphin, University College London,Professor Dame Athene Donald DBE FRS, University of CambridgeProfessor Barry Everitt FRS, University of CambridgeProfessor Anne Ferguson-Smith FRS, University of CambridgeProfessor Christine Holt FRS, University of CambridgeProfessor Charles Hulme FBA, University of OxfordProfessor Roger Lemon, University College LondonProfessor Stafford Lightman, University of BristolDr Alice Prochaska, Former Principal and Honorary Fellow Somerville College, OxfordProfessor Wolfram Schultz, University of CambridgeProfessor Maggie Snowling CBE, University of OxfordProfessor David Spiegelhalter OBE FRS, University of CambridgeProfessor William Whyte, St John’s College, Oxford

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>>https://www.movement46.org/impact-on-scientific-research-of-brexit-transition-termination/https://royalsociety.org/-/media/news/2020/the-effect-of-brexit-on-UK-scientific-research-post-Covid-19.pdf https://www.europeanmovement.co.uk/open_scientist_letter

Liberal Democrats 09/06/2020 Liberal Democrats tweet: <<By pushing the UK into a no-deal Brexit, the Conservatives could be putting more lives and more jobs at risk. The government must put national interest ahead of Brexit ideology and extend the transition period. >>https://twitter.com/LibDems/status/1270365134238756865

Nourish Scotland 09/06/2020 Nourish Scotland. <<Through the looking glass by Pete Ritchie<<Last week, the Scottish Government published a detailed analysis of the damage a no-deal Brexit would do in the context of Covid-19. Full of arguments, case studies and facts, it makes for a concerning read.And it’s not just Scotland. Two-thirds of the UK public support an extension. Last week we joined the Human Rights Consortium and the Brexit Civil Society Alliance in a letter asking the Prime Minister to extent the

transition period beyond 31st December 2020.We need to step out of this looking glass world, where the people’s will is not the people’s will; and risking the security and prosperity of millions of people as we start recovering from Covid-19 is the core business of government.>>http://www.nourishscotland.org/through-the-looking-glass/

UK in a Changing Europe

09/06/2020 <<UK in a Changing Europe. The Brexit Negotiations: A Stocktake, “Extension is needed to ensure a comprehensive UK-EU deal, new academic report finds.It is hard to see how the sort of comprehensive deal the UK and EU say they want can be agreed without an extension, a new report by academic think tank UK in a Changing Europe finds.Professor Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe, said: “It is little surprise the talks last week did not make any real progress.“If the Government sticks to its guns and refuses to ask for an extension to transition, it is hard to see either how a deal can be agreed, or how the necessary preparations for either deal or no deal can be carried out by either the government or businesses”.Professor Jonathan Portes, senior fellow, UK in a Changing Europe, said: “Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit are major shocks for the UK economy. The interaction of the two is complex and unpredictable, with the potential toamplify some impacts while moderating others.“On balance, the pandemic probably does make the economic risks of exiting transition on January 2021 withouta trade deal larger, but considerable uncertainties remain.”

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Professor Catherine Barnard, senior fellow, UK in a Changing Europe, said “The Withdrawal Agreement provides a legally simple route to extension of the transition period. If that route is not taken, there is serious legal trouble ahead if both sides decide they need more time.” https://ukandeu.ac.uk/extension-is-needed-to-ensure-a-comprehensive-uk-eu-deal-new-academic-report-finds/ https://ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Brexit-Negotiations-A-Stocktake-1.pdf https://www.verdict.co.uk/b rexit-deal-extension/

Swindon for Europe(via Swindon Adverstiser)

09/06/2020 <<Brexit negotiations: Group urges government to consider extension as deadline loomsA Swindon group is urging the government to extend the Brexit transition period as the June 30 deadline looms.Swindon for Europe members fear a no deal Brexit could cause chaos and inflict serious damage on the British economy.Steve Rouse said: “People are worried about the damage to jobs and livelihoods the perfect storm that no deal and the pandemic could bring.“Swindon, with its reliance on manufacturing and finance industries is already extremely vulnerable to the effects of Brexit.“Achieving a trade deal was always going to be ambitious within an eleven-month transition period but doing so in the midst of a worldwide pandemic injects massive challenge to the task. Many parliamentarians of all parties voted against a no-deal Brexit last year and right now our government should not create chaos but avoid it.”Britain can request an extension of up to two years, if agreed by both parties. The group has asked the by78update its Swindon Brexit report, assessing the risk and identifying the threats and opportunities in various areas including the town’s economy and workforce.>> https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/1850 4623.brexit-negotiations-group-urges-government-consider-extension-deadline-approaches/

Yorkshire Bylines 08/06/2020 <<Yorkshire campaign groups call on MPs to extend Brexit transition. The chairs of 13 pro-European campaign groups from across Yorkshire have written to our region’s MPs to call for the Brexit transition period to be extended.In their open letter to the Yorkshire MPs, the groups stress that this is, “not an attempt to thwart Brexit. We simply want to avoid creating a cliff edge that risks shortages of both food and medicines as well as further increasing unemployment when as a nation we will be fighting for every job.”They have joined a growing number of businesses, trade bodies and national organisations in making this urgent request, including over 50 civil s ociety organisations. The deadline to agree an extension to the transition period is 1 July, just over three weeks away. Last week it became clear that no progress has been made in the negotiations with the EU, and Boris Johnson is now rolling back on the commitments he made in the the political

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declaration that the UK and 27 other EU member states signed in October 2019

Richard Wilson, vice-chair of the European Movement UK and chair of Leeds for Europe said:

“Meeting the shortened deadline for completing the UK’s exit from the European Union was always going to be a challenge, but the havoc wreaked by Covid-19 has made the mammoth task of renegotiating hundreds of expiring agreements between the UK and the EU an intolerable distraction at a time of national crisis when the attention of UK and European governments is, quite rightly, focused on tackling the pandemic.“There simply isn’t sufficient time for businesses, government and citizens to prepare for another shock to the system in less than seven months’ time. An extension to the Brexit transition is the only sensible course of action.”>> https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/yorkshire-campaign- groups-call-on-mps-to- extend-brexit-transition/

Jessica Simor QC 08/06/2020 Tweet: <<There is a connection between the disastrous approach to Covid19 in the UK and the Brexit issue. The connection is the people - the same people made and are making the policy decisions. We must extend transition now - in reality only three weeks left. #extendtransition>> https://twitter.com/JMPSimor/status/1267451907867639809

Institute of Government/ EUobserver

25/05/2020 EUobserver: By Andrew Rettman. <<EU a nd UK stumbling into Irish border crisisThe looming collapse of the Irish border deal, threatening security, is the elephant in the room in Brexit talks, a top UK think-tank has warned."Against the background of a global pandemic, it is very difficult to see how preparations to implement the (Irish) protocol can be completed before the end of the year," the Institute for Government said in a report on Saturday (23 May).>>https://euobserver.com/brexit/148439

Institute for Government<<Implementing Brexit. The Northern Ireland protocol by Jess Sargeant, Alex Stojanovic, Haydon Etherington and James Kane “The UK’s decision to leave the EU posed unique challenges for Northern Ireland. As the only part of the country to have a land border with a remaining member state and with a troubled history of violent conflict, changes to the UK–EU relationship would present particular problems for Northern Ireland.This report looks at the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol. It outlines what it says, how it might

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work and the challenges of ensuring it is operational before the end of the transition period.It also looks at the long-term consequences of applying future EU law in Northern Ireland and for politics and policy making in the whole of the UK” “Against the background of a global pandemic, it is very difficult to see how preparations to implement the protocol can be completed before the end of the year – given the scale of both the decisions and practical work still required. The UK and the EU should extend the transition period or agree a separate longer implementation period for the Withdrawal Agreement. ”>>https://ww w.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/implementing-brexit-northern-ireland-protocol https://www.institutefo rgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/implementing-brexit-northern-ireland-protocol.pdf

Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons. Meg Hillier MP (chair)

03/06/2020 Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons<<In a report published today, Wednesday 3 June 2020, the Commons Public Accounts Committee says it is concerned that the Cabinet Office will not have the capability to successfully deliver campaign messages on preparations for the end of the Brexit transition period at the same time as delivering the major public health campaign on Covid-19, with it “likely that the Covid-19 campaign will crowd out the Brexit transition campaign.”

Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Committee, said:“The Government is taking the UK through not one but two incredible, unprecedented political and economic upheavals simultaneously, but it is business, the public and the public purse that will suffer if it gets it wrong. “The Government has shown it could not fully successfully deliver one such campaign, before the pandemic disaster hit - in that case with a lot of money spent on the overarching message but less success on the detail which changes behaviour. With the nation’s fortunes, livelihoods and even lives at stake, the Government must quickly give us confidence that it has learned the lessons and understands the scale of the task of running two campaigns like this, each much more complex and longer term than either the coronavirus “stay at home” or the original Brexit date messages.”>>https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5801/cmselect/cmpubacc/131/13103.htm http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/29672

Louise Brown, The Northern Echo.

08/06/2020 The Northern Echo. <<Letters: 'It is utter madness not to extend Brexit'As someone who grew up around the corner from the Nissan factory, I know just how important it is to the region.With the news that the plant is not sustainable in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it beggars belief that this

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Government is not going to ask for an extension to the transition period.This increases the risk of a no-deal Brexit and thus Nissan leaving our region, taking its 7,000 jobs with it (and thousands more if you include the supply chain).Whichever way you voted in the EU referendum, it was probably not for this scenario.In the middle of a pandemic, it is utter madness not to extend to prevent such a no-deal scenario.The North-East is currently the worst affected by Covid-19 and will soon be the worst affected by a no-deal Brexit too. Please let us not revisit our economic disaster of the pit-closure past and extend the transition period to save the region from ruin.Louise Brown, Gateshead>>https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/opinion/letters/18503297.letters-it-utter-madness-not-extend-brexit/

Brexit Civil Society Alliance (55 civil society organizations); Geoff Nuttall, Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action

08/06/2020 Brexit Civil Society Alliance<<Over 50 Civil Society Organisations Call On The Prime Minister To Extend The Transition PeriodOver 50 civil society organisations have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging for an extension to thetransition period to be sought in light of the added pressure that has been created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Organisations that have joined together to call on the Government to extend the transition period comes from across the nations and regions of the UK. They include those that work in national programme delivery and those delivering front-line services.

As the UK government is rightly consumed by the crisis, signatories warn that there will be insufficient time tonegotiate, scrutinise and implement an agreement on the future relationship by the 31st December 2020.”

(except from letter) “The capacity of the UK and the EU states to make the domestic preparations needed to exit the transition period and implement the Withdrawal Agreement has already been severely limited. It is essential therefore that the Government agrees as soon as possible with EU partners that the transition periodis extended past 31 December 2020.”

(Signatures:

1. Andrea Brown, Chief Executive (Interim), Disability Action Northern Ireland2. Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations 3. Anne McVicker, Director, Women’s Resource and Development Agency

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4. Auriol Miller, Director, Institute for Welsh Affairs 5. Barbara Drozdowicz, Chief Executive Officer, East European Resource Centre6. Bijon Sinha, Administrator, Compton's Yard Charitable Trust 7. Brian Gormally, Director, Committee on the Administration of Justice 8. Caitlin Boswell-Jones, Project Officer (EU Citizens), Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants 9. Carol Botten, Chief Executive, Voluntary Organisations Network North East 10.Christopher Desira, Director/Solicitor, Seraphus 11.Christopher Stacey, Co-director, Unlock - for people with convictions12.Denise McDowell, Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit13.Dr Keith Tyrell, Director, Pesticide Action Network UK 14.Fiona Godfrey/ Jane Golding, Co-Chairs, British in Europe 15.Ele Hicks, Policy Manager, Diverse Cymru 16.Emma Ritch, Executive Director, Engender 17.Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, Chief Executive, Mudiad Meithrin 18.Heather Fisken, Head of Policy and Research Team, Inclusion Scotland 19.Helen Crickard, Co-ordinator, Reclaim the Agenda 20.Helen Swain, CEO, Cyfannol Women's Aid 21.Ilse Mogensen, Head of Advocacy and Campaigns, the3million 22.Jackie Murphy, CEO, TGP Cymru 23.Janet Fenton, Organiser, Secure Scotland24.Janis McDonald, Chief Officer, deafscotland (Scottish Council on Deafness) 25.Jardine Simpson, Chief Executive, Scottish Recovery Consortium26.Jennifer Ang, Director, JustRight Scotland 27.Jo Pike, CEO, Scottish Wildlife Trust28.Julie Bishop, Director, Law Centres Network 29.Kevin Hanratty, Director, Human Rights Consortium 30.Kierra Box, Brexit Campaigner, Friends of the Earth 31.Kush Chottera, Executive Director, Europia 32.Liz O'Neill, Director, GM Freeze 33.Loraine Griffin, Manager, Community Organisations of South Tyrone & Areas Ltd34.Lucila Granada, Chief Executive Officer, Focus on Labour Exploitation 35.Lumturi Podrimaj, Project Manager, Advice NI 36.Lynne Stafford, Chief Executive, Gaddum

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37.Magda Fabianczyk and Marzena Zukowska, Co-Directors, Polish Migrants Organise for Change (POMOC)

38.Mhairi Snowden, Coordinator, Human Rights Consortium Scotland 39.Mike Shooter, CBE Chairperson, Play Wales / Chwarae Cymru 40.Nathalie Sherring, Chief Officer, Dorset Race Equality Council 41.Paddy Kelly, Director, Children's Law Centre 42.Peter Ritchie, Director, Nourish Scotland 43.Professor Ian Welsh OBE, Chief Executive, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) 44.Professor Robert Moore, North Wales Regional Equality Network 45.Rachel Powell, Women’s Sector Lobbyist, Women’s Resource and Development Agency 46.Revd Dr Noel A Davies, Chair, Cytun Working Party on Wales and Europe 47.Robert CJ Allison, Manager, Equality Cards 48.Roger Casale, Secretary General & CEO, New Europeans 49.Sam Smethers, Chief Executive, Fawcett Society 50.Seamus McAleavey, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action 51.Shaben Begum, Director, Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance 52.Sue Lister MBE, Artistic Director, Real People Theatre 53.Susie Ventris-Field, Chief Executive, Welsh Centre for International Affairs 54.Sylvia Ingmire, CEO, Roma Support Group55.Tara-Grace Connolly, NIYF Treasurer & Brexit Spokesperson, Northern Ireland Youth Forum

>>

https://www.brexitcivilsocietyalliance.org/news-indexpag e/over-50-civil-society-organisations-call-on-the-prime-minister-to-extend-the-transition-period <<Civil society organisations urge government to try to extend Brexit transition periodby Andy Ricketts A group of more than 50 civil society organisations have called on the government to extend the Brexit transition period. A letter signed by organisations including the Fawcett Society, Friends of the Earth and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, urges Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, to ask the European Union for an extension to the transition period, which is due to expire on 31 December. The letter says the coronavirus pandemic means there has been an understandable reduction in the capacity of thegovernment to negotiate a trade deal with the EU and for parliament to then scrutinise any arrangement.

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It warns that there remains insufficient time for agreeing and implementing a deal setting out the UK’s future relationship with the EU before the end of the year. In March, all face-to-face trade talks were cancelled, with only limited virtual trade talks resuming recently, the letter says. “As each country across Europe increases its state of emergency, capacity to undertake the talks across the 27 member states is further reduced," it says.“The capacity of the UK and the EU states to make the domestic preparations needed to exit the transition periodand implement the withdrawal agreement has already been severely limited. “It is essential therefore that the government agrees as soon as possible with EU partners that the transition period is extended past 31 December 2020.”Geoff Nuttall, head of policy and public affairs at the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, one of the signatories to the letter, said: “We are concerned that every effort is made to avoid adding the social and economic impacts of a no-deal Brexit to the Covid-19 crisis.“We believe it is vital that adequate time is given to discussions on the future UK-EU relationship, which will have profound implications for the future of our society and economy. “The current crisis understandably makes it virtually impossible to give adequate time and attention to these discussions, so we believe an extension period is vital.”>>https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/civil-society-organisations-urge-government-try-extend-brexit-transition-period/policy-and-politics/article/1685478 <<NICVA Calls for Brexit Extension as Lifeline for Hard Pressed Voluntary and Community Organisationsby Geoff NuttallWith only seven months of the Brexit transition period left and much for voluntary and community organisations to prepare for whilst still dealing with Covid-19, NICVA says an extension to the transition period is vital.NICVA is one of the 55 organisations in the Brexit Civil Society Alliance that have collectively written to the UK Prime Minister calling for a one-off extension to the Brexit transition period. We believe this extension is essential to give much needed time to deal with the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis and to fully understand, prepare and adapt for the changes that will arise from Brexit. >>https://www.nicva.org/article/nicva-calls-for-brexit-extension-as-lifeline-for-hard-pressed-voluntary-and-community

The Loadstar 22/05/2020 'If Covid-19 fails to sink UK firms, a messy Brexit co uld finish the job'by Alex Lennane <<UK companies, already hit hard by the impacts of Covid-19, could face closure without further clarity

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on Brexit.Global trade finance expert Dr Kerstin Braun, president of Stenn Group, yesterday warned that the UK’s fast-shrinking economy had already hurt firms, and Brexit could do further damage.“A hard exit following on the heels of the Covid-19 crisis, with potential tariff increases and paperwork confusion, could prove to be a perfect storm for UK firms.“If Covid-19 fails to sink them, a messy Brexit could.”The comments came as the chief executive of Swissport UK warned the government that an aviation strategy would be critical if the UK was to overcome the challenges Brexit would throw at the country. Otherwise, he said, the UK’s aviation sector would fail, while in continental Europe it would thrive>>https://theloadstar.com/if-covid-19-fails-to-sink-uk-firms-a-messy-brexit-could-finish-the-job/

Andrew Opie British Retail Consortium. Mark Bridgeman, Country Land and Business Association. Frances O’Grady, (TUC)

06/06/2020 <<Back in Westminster Andrew Opie, director of food sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, told MPs that Britain could be able to go “out of the frying pan into the fire” by bouncing from the coronavirus crisis to Brexit disruption at borders.If we thought (disruption during coronavirus) was a problem, I think we should starting looking forward to a disorderly Brexit in January, he told the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. If we get a disorderly Brexit we potentially face a bigger challenge to the food supply chain than was faced with Covid.He noted that in January “90 per cent of our lettuces and 80 per cent of our tomatoes and 70 per cent of our soft fruit” come across the channel (and) that disruption could empty shelves.Other groups echoed the same warnings. Josh Hardie, deputy director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), warned that many businesses were simply not ready for the no-deal being threatened.Progress is worryingly slow, causing deep concern to firms when resilience has rarely been more fragile, he said.The stark reality is that most businesses are understandably unprepared for a dramatic change in trading relations with our biggest partner in just six months’ time. With jobs in every region of the UK and EU underpressure, the stakes are higher than ever.A deal that works for both sides’ economies is the only way forward. Political leaders should step in urgently, change the dynamic and find solutions that protect people’s livelihoods. Failure to break the deadlock only leaves a choice between an extension that the UK Government has already ruled out or worse, a deeply damaging no deal, he said.Mark Bridgeman, president of the Country Land and Business Association, which represents some farmers and rural businesses said the “limited progress” was hugely concerning. Make no mistake, without a quality free trade agreement thousands of farmers both in the UK and the EU would go out of business, with all the devastation to lives and communities that go with it, he said.We understand a degree of posturing is inevitable, but no one – on either side of the negotiating table – should

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forget what is at risk. We strongly encourage both sides to return to the table as quickly as possible, he said.Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) said: The prime minister must buckle down and get a good deal for workers’ jobs and rights. The coronavirus crisis has already put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk. The government can’t allow a no-deal Brexit to put even more families’ livelihoods on the line.Ministers must negotiate a deal with the EU that preserves our access to European markets, supporting good jobsand protecting us from dodgy trade deals with the likes of Donald Trump, she said.>>https://www.tradingandinv estmentnews.co.uk/fears-of-no-deal-brexit-rise-as-uk-eu-negotiations-end-without-progress/ https://www.reporter.am/fears -of-no-deal-in-brexit-trade-talks-rise-as-another-round-of-negotiations-ends-in-acrimony/

British Retail Consortium

05/06/2020 <<Brexit disruption 'could destroy some Northern Irish businesses' in wake of pandemicFailure to negotiate a UK-EU trade agreement would hit Northern Irish supply chains harder than Covid-19, the British Retail Consortium says.Northern Irish businesses could collapse unless they are given at least six months for the "Herculean task" of adjusting to the new UK-EU trading relationship from January because Covid-19 has hindered their ability to prepare, a retail body has warned. >>https://www.telegraph.co. uk/business/2020/06/05/brexit-disruption-could-destroy-northern-irish-businesses-wake/

Delphine Strauss 02/06/2020 <<Coronavirus and Brexit are a poisonous combination for UK business. Delphine Strauss“But it would be a mistake for businesses to put any concerns about the EU/UK trade deal on the back burner. The fact is that coronavirus and Brexit are likely to prove a poisonous combination. (…)Even if the UK did secure an FTA by the end of the year and avoided a no-deal scenario, the worst impact wouldbe in London and the south of England, the SMF found, because of their reliance on sectors such as financial services and construction that the SMF expects to be among the most severely disrupted. Without a deal, the economic impact would be worse. London and the south-east would still be hard hit but so would areas in the north-west and West Midlands that are far less resilient. If the UK did fail to secure a deal, it would probably need to rush through a stimulus package for certain industries and parts of the country, the SMF noted. Given the gaping hole that the coronavirus crisis has left in the public finances, paying for Brexit will be an even bigger struggle.”https://www.ft.com/content/df4807ec-1fc4-46f1-8398-934e45416817

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Peter Donaghy (Salmon of Data)

06/06/2020 Northern Ireland is about to learn the cost of liesPeter Donaghy (Salmon of Data) <<The disgraceful refusal of the British government to agree an extension of the transition period, combined with its callous disregard towards businesses and consumers in Northern Ireland, has now raised the very real risk of food shortages and price rises in the middle of winter during a possible peak of new infections during a global pandemic. >>

https://sluggerotoole.com/2020/06/06/northern-ireland-i-about-to-learn-the-cost-of-lies

Stefano Fella, House of Commons Library

02/06/2020 <<Stefano Fella, House of Commons Library. UK-EU future relationship negotiating timetable: extendingthe transition.This briefing sets out the timetable for the UK-EU future relationship negotiations. It provides an overview of the debate on whether the post-Brexit transition period should be extended, and explains the process for extending this period.>>

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8929/http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8929/CBP-8929.pdf

Andrew Opie, British Retail Consortium.

05/06/2020 <<No-deal Brexit will ‘cause food shortages worse than coronavirus panic buying’Failure to reach a Brexit deal with Europe will lead to much worse food shortages than the coronavirus panic buying crisis: this was the stark warning made to MPs today by Andrew Opie, director of food at the British Retail Consortium.Speaking to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the impact of coronavirus on food supply, Opie said the empty shelves and shortages seen in March were mild compared to what could happen in 2020 if government negotiators cannot secure a deal with the EU in time.“If we get a disorderly Brexit we potentially face a bigger challenge than that faced from Covid. The reason I saythat is that at no time did we have a problem getting food to this country during this crisis.“In fact, Italy increased its food production during the worst time. It increased pasta production and sent more to us because the borders were flowing.“If we see the border disrupted in January then we’re going to have a big problem, because then we won’t have the food in the country to move around.”>>

https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/brexit/no-deal-brexit-will-cause-food-shortages- worse-than-coronavirus-panic-buying/645117.article

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https:/ /yorkshirebylines.co.uk/food-retailers-disorderly-brexit-will-be-worse-than-covid/

Amber Khan, Young Fabians

31/05/2020 Amber Khan IN LIGHT OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS, BREXIT MUST BE DELAYED“It will be politically difficult for Johnson to deviate from the Brexit hymn sheet, as a delay may be untenable for large swathes of his core base of supporters. But a Brexit delay does not have to undermine our negotiating position with Brussels nor is it a vehicle to simply ‘cancel’ Brexit. A delay would instead be a prudent act that ensures when the UK does leave Europe, it does so on favourable terms and at a time that will maximise our chances of a successful exit.”http://www .youngfabians.org.uk/in_light_of_covid_19_brexit_must_be_delayed

Ed Davey MP, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader

05/06/2020 <<Davey: Extend EU transition nowFollowing the latest round of Brexit negotiations, Michel Barnier today made it clear that there has been no significant progress on numerous issues including Level Playing Field commitments and fishing.Urging the government to extend the transition period, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader Ed Davey said:"Boris Johnson can no longer cross his fingers and hope no one is paying attention to the huge Brexit mess hurtling towards us. We are running out of time."Barnier has made it clear: not enough progress has been made on negotiations."We are now dangerously close to the extension deadline. It is time to do the right thing for our NHS, economy, and vital supplies of food and medicines."The government must stop posturing. Johnson must extend the transition period for the maximum period possible. To entertain any other possibility would be reckless. The UK is already battling the Covid-19 pandemicand facing its biggest recession in generations. There isn't the bandwidth to cope with crashing out of the EU too.">>

https: //ldeg.org/en/article/2020/1363077/davey-extend-eu-transition-now

Senator Neale Richmond

06/06/2020 <<A leading Irish politician has called for the Scottish Government to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to put pressure on Boris Johnson to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period.Senator Neale Richmond spoke out as the latest round of talks between the UK and EU over the future relationship ended in deadlock yesterday.The Fine Gael politician – a close ally of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar – called for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to work together to lobby the Prime Minister to seek an extension which would allow the UK to remain in the European single market and customs union. The deadline for such a request is the end of this month.

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Richmond also urged the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)and National Farmers’ Union (NFU) to call for an extension – saying he was surprised the two organisations had yet to do so.“The prospect of a No-Deal by the end of the year is now more likely than before and even if we are to achieve adeal it will be extremely narrow,” he said. “There is scope for the devolved administrations to really put the pressure on London.“But I think the pressure needs to be more than just political it also has to be societal. I would continue to encourage not just Scottish political friends and colleagues but also the business sector, the agri-food sector and fishing sector to really ramp up the level of pressure on London to seek an extension.“The fact that organisations like the CBI and the NFU have yet to call for an extension is absolutely mind blowing when you look at what the economic effect would be on these sectors.”The Scottish and Welsh Governments have repeatedly called for a longer transition period and, earlier this week, the Northern Irish Assembly voted for an extension on the grounds imposing checks on goods travelling across the Irish Sea would be too complex while the country is grappling with the virus’s effects.>>

https://www.thenational.scot/news/18500299.irish-senator-urges-devolved- nations-seek-brexit-extension/

Scottish National Party

06/06/2020 <<SNP challenges Jackson Carlaw to join cross-party campaign to extend Brexit timetable(...)The SNP has called on Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw to back a cross-party campaign to extend the Brexit timetable and ensure a chaotic no deal is avoided.The Scottish Government this week published analysis highlighting the danger of ending the transition period in the midst of the pandemic. (…)All opposition parties – except the Tories – backed a Scottish Government’s proposal to extend the Brexit transition period and avoid the prospect of a chaotic No Deal Brexit in the middle of economic upheaval.Earlier this year Jackson Carlaw said he was a “pragmatist” on the question of extending transition.>>https: //www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-challenges-jackson-carlaw-join-22144959

Copa-Cogeca, Celcaa, FoodDrinkEurope (via euroactiv.com)

05/06/2020 <<Brexit no deal could ‘severely disrupt’ agrifood sectorBy Natasha FooteFailing to conclude a trade agreement between the EU and the UK would have serious consequences for the agrifood sector, major EU agrifood stakeholders said on Thursday (4 June).As the fourth round of negotiations on the EU-UK future relationship draws to a close, groups working in the

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sector have expressed their concern, with Farmers association Copa-Cogeca, the European liaison committeefor agricultural and agrifood trade Celcaa, and FoodDrinkEurope, saying there is a “growing risk that no agreement will be reached before the end of the current transition period.”They stressed that a combination of ‘no agreement’ and ‘no extension’ of transitional arrangements, combined with the introduction of tariffs and the potential for regulatory divergence, would “severely disrupt integrated supply chains” and agri-food trade between the EU and the UK, which amounted to €58 billion in 2019.Will Surman, Director of Public Affairs & Communications, told EURACTIV that the consequences of a no-deal fallout could include “a major decrease in export volumes from the EU to the UK, a significant fall in revenue, and consequential job losses.”He added that the impact on SMEs, farmers and agri-cooperatives would be particularly detrimental.“We regret that the UK government is currently opposed to any extension of the post-Brexit transition period beyond 2020,” the statement reads.“The transition should be of sufficient length for businesses to plan and prepare for any FTA arrangements, and to avoid a cliff-edge situation.”Pekka Pesonen, Secretary-General of Copa-Cogeca, told EURACTIV that, from the farmers’ perspective, EU farmers are on “equal footing” with their UK counterparts and that it is of “crucial importance” that we come to a mutually acceptable agreement.https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/brexit-no-deal-could-severely-disrupt-agrifood -sector/ See also: https://www.thenews.coop/148257/sector/agriculture/no-deal-brexit-would-damage-food-industry-europes-agri-co-ops-warn/ https://www.farminglife.com/country-and-farming/eu-agri-food-chain-warns- growing-risk-no-uk-eu-tra de-deal-2874674 https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9224402/brexit-no-deal-could-severely-disrupt-agrifood-sector/

Tom Arthur MSP (SNP, Renfrewshire South)

06/06/2020 << Renfrewshire South MSP Tom Arthur has urged the UK Government to protect jobs in his constituency by extending the Brexit transition period in light of the coronavirus crisis.With new analysis showing billions of pounds could be wiped from the Scottish economy, the SNP man is keen for Westminster to take action to protect local workers.The transition arrangements currently keep the UK close to the European Union (EU) and can be extended for two years – beyond December 31 – if the UK Government asks for an extension by the end of this month.A new study from the Scottish Government claims that, without an extension, Scotland's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) could be more than one per cent lower after two years.It adds that the cumulative loss of economic activity from leaving the EU would be up to £3billion over those

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two years – on top of the devastating effects of the coronavirus outbreak.The report also highlights that, without an extension or a free trade deal, jobs in the likes of the agriculture and manufacturing sectors will be especially badly hit. Mr Arthur, who is based in Johnstone, said: “Coronavirus is causing enormous economic disruption.“It would be an act of extraordinary recklessness for the UK Government to allow us to crash out of the transition period at the end of this year.“The SNP believe the best future for Scotland is as an independent member of the EU but, regardless of your opinion on Brexit or Independence, it makes no sense to crash out of the European single market at precisely the moment we need stability.“Businesses in Renfrewshire South are focused on securing their future – they simply don’t have the capacity to prepare for Brexit on top of a pandemic.“The UK Government must do the sensible thing and protect jobs by extending the transition period.”>>the-gazette.co.uk/news/18497040.renfrewshire-south-msp-tom-arthur-calls-extension-brexit-transition-period-protect-jobs/

Terry Reintke MEP (Greens)

26/04/2020 Europe Street news. Interview with MEP Terry Reintke: the EU-UK friendship group and why Brits should participate in EU’s future debateWhat aspects of citizens’ rights will be discussed in the negotiations on the future EU-UK relationship?Right now, under the circumstances we are in, I don’t see anything substantial about the future relationship that can be discussed by the end of the year and be sustainable for the future. My appeal is: please, please extend the deadline of the Brexit transition beyond 31 December. I say this constructively given the difficulties we face with the coronavirus crisis. Even Boris Johnson fell ill, so let’s focus on fighting the virus now and address negotiations later, and really put citizens’ rights at their core.https://europestreet.news/german-mep-says-brits-should-be-included-in-future-of-eu-debate/

Terry Reintke MEP (Greens)

05/06/2020 UK needs transition extension to avoid disastrous outcomeGerman Greens MEP Terry Reintke has appealed to the UK to ask for an extension to the Brexit transition period beyond 31 December amid “special circumstances”. Senior MEP Terry Reintke has appealed to the UK to ask the EU for an extension to the Brexit transition period beyond 31 December. Her appeal comes with the talks deadlocked and growing pessimism about a no-deal exit.The two sides will conclude the fourth round of talks on Friday, with insiders saying little progress has been made on key areas such as fisheries and the so-called level playing field. If there is to be an extension both sides must agree to this by 1 July.As the latest round of talks draw to a close, Reintke, a German Greens deputy, told The Parliament Magazine, "To avoid a disastrous outcome for both sides, an extension is what is needed in these more than special

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circumstances.” She continued, “My appeal is: Extend the deadline and take the time to negotiate a good deal for both sides. A no-deal scenario will put all citizens and their rights at risk." https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/news/uk-needs-transition- extension-avoid-disastrous-outcome

Stephen Kelly, chiefexecutive of Manufacturing Northern Ireland

05/06/2020 Business leaders demand delay to Irish Sea border checksSix months needed to prepare for Brexit border checks, warn Northern Ireland business groupsNorthern Ireland business groups are calling for a six month delay to Brexit checks in the Irish Sea saying that Boris Johnson’s late admission that he is legally obliged to implement them has left them no time to prepare for the December cliff edge.They have also hit out at Downing Street secrecy, saying they are refusing to discuss the plans with the very people that needed to implement them.Their call for a six month “adjustment period” falls short of the extension to the transition period that the Stormont assembly unexpectedly agreed to call for earlier this week.But they warned Northern Ireland businesses will go to the wall unless they are given more time by the UK and the EU to set themselves up for the unprecedented changes to the way they trade with Britain.Responding to the government’s command paper on the Northern Ireland protocol with a list of 60 unanswered questions they urged Michael Gove, who is charged with implementing the withdrawal agreement to urgently engage with them.“The level of engagement we have with the UK government across a raft of policy areas is really good. But when it comes to this Brexit issue, it’s really locked down and controlled. There is no real defined engagement from them,” said Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing Northern Ireland. Aodhán Connolly, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, said businesses were realistic and knew the UK government was not looking to extend the transition period. Businesses were willing to help the government make the new Brexit protocol work but it was “mission critical” to involve them with just seven months to go.They warn that there is little capacity for planning with delays on the British side compounded by the Covidcrisis. Even if they had the “bandwidth” they couldn’t prepare because the government has kept them in the dark on the details of customs and regulatory checks that will be imposed.“We had said from January that this was going to be a Herculean task to get everything done in time for 1 January, it has only gotten harder,” said Connolly.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/05/business-leader s-demand-delay-to-irish-sea-border-checks

Willie Rennie, Scottish Liberal

03/06/2020 <<Rennie welcomes SNP and Scot Labour support for Brexit transition extensionScottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today welcomed support from the SNP and Scottish

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Democrat leader Labour for an extension to the Brexit negotiations. On Wednesday 3rd June, Mr Rennie wrote to his fellow Scottish party leaders calling for a joint letter to the Prime Minister proposing an extension and repeated his calls in the Scottish Parliament chamber today.Cabinet Secretary Mike Russell for the SNP and constitution spokesperson Alex Rowley for Labour have now endorsed an extension to negotiations.Mr Rennie said:“On Wednesday I wrote to all the party leaders inviting them to send a joint letter to the UK Government calling for an extension to the Brexit negotiations.“So far I’ve been rejected by Jackson Carlaw. He says government can do two things at once. Yes, that’s true but Brexit is not some minor piece of legislation, it’s the biggest change to our constitutional, political and economicframework in decades and it is reckless to carry on in the middle of a global pandemic. He has obviously not spoken to anyone from the world of Scottish business for some time.“However it is positive that both the SNP and Scottish Labour have confirmed that they are in favour of an extension, not least because Keir Starmer has been reluctant to endorse such proposals at Westminster. It will need effective cross party pressure if we are to stave off a damaging no deal Brexit.“Scottish Liberal Democrats are quite clear that a no deal Brexit would be utterly unacceptable.”

//www.scotlibdems.org.uk/rennie_welcomes_snp_and_scot_labour_support_for_brexit_transition_extension

BOSS Federation (The trade association representing the UK office supplies and services industry. )

04/06/2020 BOSS Federation<<Without an extension to the Transition Period, there is a widespread concern that businesses will not have adequate time to prepare for Brexit on WTO terms. >>https://w ww.bossfederation.com/industry-news/more/129115/brexit-bulletin-may-june-2020/

Gillian Martin MSP(Aberdeenshire East, SNP)

04/06/2020 <<UK Government must extend Brexit transition to protect rural Scotland says Gillian Martin MSP.Scotland’s rural industries face a “double hammer blow” if the UK government refuses to extend the Brexit transition period in light of coronavirus, the SNP has said.Analysis by the Scottish Government has found that agriculture and fishing sectors would face some of the highest trade costs if the transition period ends this year.In the event of a No Deal Brexit at the end of the transition – which the EU has made clear can be extended by up to two years – these sectors would also face tariffs and quotas when exporting to the EU.SNP MSP Gillian Martin said:

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“Rural Scotland cannot afford the double hammer blow of Brexit in the midst of a pandemic that is causing major economic disruption.This new research shows that Brexit will leave our crucial agricultural and fishing sectors among the hardest hit.Businesses here simply do not have the capacity to prepare for sky-high Brexit costs, when they are fighting to survive the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.To push ahead without extending the transition period would be a shocking dereliction of duty by the UK government, leaving Scotland’s rural economy high and dry.An extension is available and Boris Johnson must change course before he inflicts a disastrous hard or no deal Brexit on Scotland in less than seven months’ time.”>>https://myturriff.co.uk/2020/06/04/uk-government-must-extend-brexit-transition-to-protect-rural-scotland-says-gil lian-martin-msp/ http://www.thehighlandtimes.com/news/2020/06/05/uk-government-must- extend-brexit-transition-to-protect-rural-scotland/

Scottish Crofting Federation

05/06/2020 <<Crofting Federation backs call for Brexit extension by Gordon Davidson.Europe's post-Brexit relationship with the UK is 'too important and affects the economic wellbeing of too many people' for the current negotiations to be rushed.Saying that, the Scottish Crofting Federation has endorsed research produced by the Scottish Government which makes it clear that a Brexit extension is essential to Scotland’s economy.“The Covid-19 pandemic is, quite rightly, absorbing considerable resources from all our national governments," said SCF chair Yvonne White. "There is no doubt that it is impossible to conclude a comprehensive trade deal with the European Union before the end of 2020. It is therefore essential that the UK government agrees a two-year extension to the transition period with the EU.“SCF welcomes the Scottish Government’s well-researched evidence of the impact of leaving the EU too quicklyand applaud their work on this," said Ms White. "We entirely support the stance taken, that the UK Government must apply for a two-year extension to the transition period. This is too important and affects the economic wellbeing of too many people for the negotiations to be rushed to meet a self-imposed and arbitrary deadline.”https://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/news/18496725.crofting-federation- backs-call-brexit-extension/

Sir Vince Cable, former leader of theLiberal Democrats

05/06/2020 <<Given the lack of progress during the Covid-19 crisis, should the Brexit transition period be extended?Sir Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and former secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, says YES.“Extending the transition period will become critical as this government limps towards the end of June with no progress at all made in the negotiations. It is important for people in the UK to understand that the EU is not being bloody-minded: EU leaders are

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focusing on the Covid emergency, and so should we.Meanwhile, the country cannot afford to “crash out” of the transition period at the end of year with no new arrangement in place — it would be a huge double blow to the economy, after an already massive battering from coronavirus and the lockdown. An extension also opens up the prospect of a total reset in the way both sides approach the talks, since it is now clear that the EU needs to adapt to provide an “outer ring” for the non-euro countries and a stronger, more integrated core for those operating the single currency. That outer ring is something the UK should seek to shape,since we could credibly be a part of it in future.”>>https://www.cityam.com/deb ate-given-the-lack-of-progress-during-the-covid-19-crisis-should-the-transition-period-be-extended/

Alex Rowley MSP (Labour), Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrat)

04/06/2020 Brexit latest: Sir Keir Starmer under pressure to back extension to transition period as Scottish Labour supports delayThe Labour leader is the only opposition boss not to have called for the transition to be extendedBy Hugo GyeKeir Starmer is under fresh pressure to support an extension to the Brexit transition period after Scottish Labourcalled for a delay to the process. Speaking on behalf of Scottish Labour this week, MSP Alex Rowley said: "A poor or no-deal Brexit will be devastating for Scottish businesses and Scottish jobs. That is why Scottish Labour will join with all parties who want to put the interests of Scottish businesses and Scottish jobs before the interests of a Conservative elite in Downing Street. "Scotland is on the brink of an economic crisis that will be devastating for families up and down Scotland. Now that the UK has left the European Union, it is crucial we get a deal that would give us access to European markets and a close alignment with the customs union. That is why Scottish Labour supports the call for the negotiation period to be extended." In a letter seen by i, Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael wrote to Sir Keir asking him to join his colleagues in demanding a delay. He said: "I note you have so far rejected calls for the Brexit transition period tobe extended. "However, at this critical moment in the negotiations, I hope you will agree with the position of the Scottish Labour party and Sadiq Khan and accept the UK Government’s full focus must be stopping the immediate threat to lives and livelihoods. It would send a strong message if opposition parties in Westminster could unite in calling for an extension to the transition period until after the coronavirus crisis has been resolved."Michael Gove taunted Sir Keir in the Commons chamber on Thursday, saying: "The position of the Labour leader is not clear on this matter... Every party in this House has a clear position, either for or against, except for

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the Labour Party."Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is another high-profile Labour politician backing a Brexit delay. He wrote toMr Gove this week saying: "I urge the Government to put political ideology aside and pursue the pragmatic routeof seeking an extension to the negotiations so that we and our European partners can focus on recovery from Covid-19." A source close to Mr Khan insisted he was only motivated by the interests of the capital and was not seeking to push Sir Keir into following his example. >>https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/brexit/brexit-latest-sir-keir-starmer-pressure-extension-transition-period-287508 5 https://wdclabourgroup.wordpress.com/2020/06/03/scottish-labour-supports-transition-period-extension/https://inews.co.uk/news/brexit-latest-sir-keir-starmer-pressure-extension-transition-period-434045

Reuters 04/06/2020 <<Sterling to take a pasting if UK seeks no extension for EU trade talks - Reuters pollSterling will lose recent gains against the dollar and weaken further if Britain does not ask for an extensionto its Brexit transition period by a June 30 deadline to allow more time for talks on a trade deal with the EU, a Reuters poll found. “The fading prospect of an extension to the post-Brexit transition period, and the risk of supply chain disruption at the start of 2021, casts a cloud over (Britain’s) GBP outlook,” said James Smith at ING.>>https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-forex-poll-sterling/sterling-to-take-a-pasting-if-uk-se eks-no-extension-for-eu-trade-talks-reuters-poll- idUSKBN23B04C

FTA (Freight Transport Association ) British Retail Consortium and Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association

04/06/2020 <<Transport Body Backs Stormont Call For Brexit Extension by Richard Buckley, Editor, Business EyeFTA, the business group speaking for the UK logistics sector, is backing Stormont’s call for additional time to be added to the Brexit transition period as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate the industry’s resources, and government engagement on the Northern Ireland Protocol stalls. Following his participation at the House of Lords Select Committee yesterday (3 June 2020), Seamus Leheny, Policy Manager for Northern Ireland at FTA, comments: “With less than seven months until the end of the Brexit transition period, FTA and its members in Northern Ireland are deeply concerned by the lack of government engagement on the Protocol.Alongside the British Retail Consortium and Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association, with whom we jointly gave evidence to the Committee yesterday, FTA is urging the government to engage with business organisations urgently so logistics businesses and operators can prepare for the successful implementation of the UK’s departure from the EU, which observes the rules of the NI Protocol. (….)“With the COVID-19 pandemic monopolising the industry’s attention, FTA is backing Stormont’s calls for an extension to the Brexit transition period, to allow an implementation period in which all necessary preparations for EU departure can be made. Businesses need clarity on the new trading agreement so they can

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prepare effectively for the massive changes that will undoubtably come.”(….)Seamus Leheny reiterated these concerns at a media briefing hosted by the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium today (4 June 2020).

FTA is one of the UK’s leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With COVID-19, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. FTA supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such asretailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods.>>

http://www.businesseye.co.uk/transport-body-backs-stormont-call-brexit- extension/https://fta.co.uk/media/press-releases/june-2020/northern-ireland-logistics-industry-needs-brexit-i https://www.logisticsmanager.com/brexit-implementation-period-necessary-for-logistics-to-prepare-effectivly/ https://www.hgvuk.com/ni-logistics-industry-needs-brexit-implementation- period-says-fta/

Full Fact 04/06/2020 <<Claim that extending the Brexit transition period could cost £380 billion is not credible.ClaimIt will cost the UK £378 billion to extend the transition period between the UK and the EU.ConclusionThis estimate is based on a one-sided analysis which doesn’t seem to factor in any economic benefit of retaining free trade with the EU during the transition period. Most studies suggest these benefits outweigh potential gains from trade agreements and deregulation after the transition period ends.(…)A report published recently by the Centre for Brexit Policy (CBP) warned that the public did not want to see an extension, and that it could cost £378 billion.Neither of these claims is based on credible evidence. The report presents a one-sided viewpoint on the costs of transition, and most studies into the economic impacts of Brexit show leaving the customs union and single market will mean the UK economy is smaller compared to remaining.(...)There’s no evidence that a majority of people oppose a transition extension(…)

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The economic analysis is unbalanced and not aligned with other estimates.>>https://fullfact.org/europe/brexit-transition-period-economic-cost-public-opinion/

Philip Rycroft, former permanent secretary in the Department for Exiting the EU

04/06/2020 Express and Star. <<Not extending Brexit transition period ‘will add to burden on businesses’| Former senior civil servant Philip Rycroft told MSPs that not seeking an extension is a ‘political decision’. The UK Government will be adding to the burden on businesses struggling to cope with the Covid-19 crisis if it does not seek an extension to its Brexit transition period, a former senior civil servant has said.Philip Rycroft, who was the permanent secretary in the Department for Exiting the EU, told a Holyrood committee that not seeking an extension is a “political decision”.The former Whitehall mandarin said he believes it is still possible for the UK and EU to agree a new trade deal before the transition period expires at the end of this year – but added there is a “huge amount of work still to do”.(…)“It would appear to be an odd time, when you have got a choice, to be adding to the burden on businesses.” The new trade border with Europe will come into place “just at a time when businesses are trying to find their feet again after the coronavirus crisis,” he said. Mr Rycroft, who also worked for the Scottish Government during his civil service career, said: “It is a perfectly legitimate political decision to take but of course that political outlook does not necessarily coincide with theinterests of a lot of UK businesses.>>https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/06/04/not-extending-b rexit-transition-period-will-add-to-burden-on-businesses/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/not-extending-brexit-transition-period-will-add-to-burden-on-businesses-39260051.html https: //www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/national/18496580.not-extending-brexit-transition-period-will-add-burden-businesses/ https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2020/06/04/not-extending- brexit-transition-period-will-add-to -bu rden-on-businesses/ https://eveningstandard.podbean.com/e/no-brexit-extension-will-cause-added-pain/

David Linden MP (Glasgow East, SNP)

03/06/2020 House of Commons – Hansard. David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP)<<I rise tonight to present a petition on behalf of my east end constituents, who rightly wish to see an extension

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of the Brexit transition period. It is clear as day that our time as legislators is understandably being consumed by the coronavirus pandemic, but we risk the very grave danger of sleepwalking into the territory of no deal with Brussels, which I certainly cannot stand by and condone. Her Majesty’s Government therefore must extend the Brexit transition period without delay and avoid the country being plunged into further chaos.Following is the full text of the petition:(The petition of residents of Glasgow East constituency,Declares that current Coronavirus pandemic should be the primary focus of Her Majesty’s Government at this time; believes it is deeply unhelpful that the prospect of a No Deal cliff edge on 30th June remains on the negotiating table with Brussels and considers that local businesses could get through the inevitable Coronavirusrecession without having extra uncertainty or new rules and red tape to get used to at the end of the year.The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges Her Majesty’s Government to seek an immediate extension to the Brexit transition period without delay.And the petitioners remain, etc.)>>

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-06-03/debates/024466A4-A66E-48F7-B230-CAE85F9DFBCC/ExtensionOfTheBrexitTransitionPeriod

Scottish National Party

03/06/2020 <<Boris Johnson must extend the Brexit transition: here’s why.Coronavirus, coupled with a no-deal Brexit, means economic disaster...Ending the transition period will weaken our efforts to combat the virus too...Scotland has been silenced and sidelined throughout the negotiations...The EU has already put extension on the table – but Boris Johnson is refusing out of hand...It’s time for the UK government to face reality and accept an extension>>https://www.snp.org/boris-johnson-must-extend-the-brexit-transition-heres-why/

Warwick Smith, director-general of the British Generic Manufacturers Association / Lib Dem MP Layla Moran

04/06/2020 The New European<<No-deal Brexit could limit our access to medicine during a second wave of coronavirus. Jonathon Read

A no-deal Brexit could jeopardise the UK’s access to medicine just as a second wave of coronavirus could hit.(...)Warwick Smith, director-general of the British Generic Manufacturers Association, said: “We must act quickly in the UK to ensure that we are not left behind.”Voices from the industry have previously stressed that a no-deal Brexit could lead to delays on imports of medicines due to possible customs delays.The government has already faced criticism for struggling to secure essential personal protective equipment and

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ventilators quickly enough at the start of the coronavirus.Lib Dem MP Layla Moran said it was another reason why the government must put forward for an extension tothe transition period.She said: “A no-deal Brexit could limit our access to medicine during a second wave of coronavirus.“The government needs to stop putting ideology ahead of public health and extend the transition period. They cannot risk a dangerous no-deal Brexit just as we recover from the worst pandemic in living memory.“People and businesses have suffered enough this year, the last thing we need is a shortage of medical supplies this winter.“The government must also start being transparent and regularly publish figures on national stockpiles of vital drugs and medicines. The public can’t be kept in the dark about how prepared we are.”https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/uk-could-struggle-to-get- medicine-for-coronavirus-after-brexit-1-6684477 See also:Financial Times. Peter Foster and Sarah Neville<<UK drugs stockpile eroded by coronavirus ahead of BrexitStruggle to rebuild 6 weeks’ medical stores exacerbated by pandemic’s disruption to global production and fears of a ‘no-deal’ EU exitThe UK government is struggling to rebuild stockpiles of drugs eroded by Covid-19 amid fears that a “no-deal” Brexit will jeopardise medicine supplies just as a second coronavirus wave hits the country. >>03/06/2020https://www.ft.com /content/4611bf7d-c749-4cfd-bf7c-7a5e2967f9f7

Green Party (NI) / Rachel Woods MLA(Green)

02/06/2020 <<GREEN PARTY SECURES SUPPORT FOR BREXIT TRANSITION EXTENSION AMENDMENTGreen Party MLA Rachel Woods has supported an Assembly motion calling for an extension to the Brexit transition period and tabled an amendment stating that we must guard against considering the impact of Brexit inpurely economic terms. The Assembly today debated a motion on a proposed extension to the Brexit regulations, along with an amendment from the Green Party NI. Rachel Woods MLA said: “Brexit is coming our way and it has been clear for a long time that it will have a negative impact right across Northern Ireland. “Meanwhile, we’re still attempting to find our find our feet in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and a

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Westminster government steaming ahead with lockdown restrictions to the alarm of public health experts.“To push on with Brexit in the midst of a pandemic is unwise in the extreme. It’s both clear and unfortunate that this Tory government wants to implement Brexit at any cost. “The Green Party supports the call for an extension to the Brexit transition period. However, we want to guard against framing the impact of Brexit in purely economic terms. “We sought to broaden the focus of the original motion beyond that of business concerns, to acknowledge the impact that EU withdrawal will have on all sections of society, economy and the environment. “Brexit will cut across many aspects of our lives and society. It’s not just the economy that will suffer the negative impacts once the Westminster government defies the will of the majority of people in Northern Ireland and fully exits the EU.”https://www.greenpartyni.org/blogs/green-party-ni/extend-brexit-transition-period-not-just-for-economic-reasons

Matthew O’Toole MLA (DLP)

03/06/2020 Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland now united in demanding Brexit extension following Stormont voteJack Peat<<Northern Ireland has joined Wales and Scotland in backing an extension to the Brexit transition period.The Assembly passed the motion by 50 voes to 38, with only unionists opposing it.DLP MLA Matthew O’Toole said it was “mad and dangerous” not to extend given the current economic circumstances.“It is especially dangerous because we know how close we came, in recent weeks, to serious disruption to supplychains across these islands.“If we end this year with no trade deal and no extension to the transition, we could face the very real prospect of significant disruption to supply chains, not just between Calais and Dover but between Holyhead and Dublin – a route that is critical to the Northern Ireland market – and at Belfast and Larne.”>>https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/north ern-ireland-wales-and- scotland-now-united-in-demanding-brexit-extension-following-stormon t-vote/03/06/

Northern Ireland assembly

03/03/2020 <<Northern Ireland assembly passes motion calling for transition period extensionThe motion proposed (by) Matthew O’Toole, the SDLP’s Brexit spokesman, had not been expected to carry afteropposition was expressed by the Democratic Unionist and the Ulster Unionist parties.O’Toole, a former Downing Street adviser, said London would have to take the vote seriously as the assembly was “uniquely recognised as a named party in the withdrawal agreement” and Stormont had a substantial role in the implementation of the Ireland and Northern Ireland protocol. He said: “This is not about rerunning the referendum, it’s about accepting that we are in the middle of the most serious public health crisis in living memory. We are also facing a significant economic recession that will put businesses and jobs at risk. This is not the moment to attempt to rupture and renegotiate our largest trading

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relationship.”(…)O’Toole added that the Stormont vote would “send a powerful message” to Boris Johnson in relation to his implacable opposition to extending the transition period without consent from Northern Ireland.The special protocol on Northern Ireland was agreed in January after a deal struck by the prime minister and his Irish counterpart, Leo Varadkar, to avoid a border on the island of Ireland.It involves checks on trade crossing the Irish Sea which will come into effect as soon as the transition period ends, whether there is a trade deal or not. Under the withdrawal agreement, these checks would hold for at least six years.Businesses have said there is simply not enough time to put IT systems for new customs arrangements, VAT and regulatory checks in place.>> (BBC)https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-northe rn-ireland- assembly-extension-leave-eu-uk-transition-period-a9545606.html https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/02/stormont-backs-calling- for-extension-to- brexit-transition-period-border-checks-covid-19-coronavirus https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-52906604 https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/ stormont-backs-calling-for-extension- to-brexit-transition-period/ https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/northern-ireland-wales-and- scotland-now-united-in-demanding-b rexit-extension-following-stormont- vote/03/06/shttps://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/stormont-backs-calling-for-extension- to-brexit-transition-period https://www.irishpost.com/news/northern-ireland-assembly-votes-to-delay-brexit-further-186164

Scottish Government

03/06/2020 Scottish Government<<COVID-19: the case for extending the Brexit transition periodThis paper sets out why it is vital, if we are to ensure the most rapid recovery possible from the COVID-19 crisis, that the UK Government immediately seeks an extension to the Brexit transition period (scheduled to finish on 31 December 2020) for two years. (…)

The arguments in favour of an extension are that: • It would allow the economy more time to recover from COVID-19 before experiencing the additional negative impact of ending the Brexit transition; • The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented government, business and citizens from preparing adequately for what will be the most significant change to our external trade policy for half a century; and • Proper democratic and technical scrutiny and implementation of the UK’s putative new relationship with the EU is simply not possible in the few months

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remaining before December this year – the end of the current transition period.Ending the transition period at the end of 2020, even with the type of basic deal the UK government is pursuing, or worse still without a deal with the EU at all, will represent a significant additional downside risk to the trajectory of the economic recovery. Immediate and short-run effects will include:• Introduction of non-tariff barriers to trade with the EU (and tariff barriers in a no deal outcome); • Increased disruption to supply chains already experiencing challenges due to COVID-19; and • Heightened uncertainty in some markets.The combined impact of these effects on businesses that are already severely affected by COVID-19 could resultin widespread business closures and job losses over and above those resulting from COVID-19 alone.New economic modelling shows the impact of ending the transition period at end-2020 or, with the full two-yearextension provided for by the Withdrawal Agreement, at end-2022. We also model the impact of two outcomes to the current EU-UK negotiations, either a basic Free Trade Agreement in line with the UK government’s unambitious aspirations, or no deal. The lack of progress in the negotiations so far and the impact of COVID-19 on the negotiating process make no deal a real possibility. These Brexit scenarios are overlaid on two illustrative paths for the recovery of the economy from COVID-19.(…)Opinion polls suggest that a clear majority of the UK population would favour an extension as a result of COVID-19. Time is running out. After June 30 there will be no reliable way of extending the transition period. As a responsible administration which, notwithstanding our fundamental opposition to Brexit, is working to protect Scotland’s interests in the Brexit process, we call upon the UK Government to act now to secure an extension to the end of 2022. >>https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-19-case-extending-brexit-transition-period/ https://www.thenational.scot/news/18492435.uk-government-refusal-extend- brexit-will-cost-scotland-billions/

Scottish GovernmentCOVID-19: The Case for Extending the Brexit Transition Period June 2020 (61pp)In this document, we have set out how the COVID-19 crisis has radically altered the priorities for governments’ actions, across the world. When an event as important as the COP 26 climate conference later this year has had to be cancelled – an event on which literally the future of mankind and our planet depends – it is simply not credible to treat Brexit as an exception and plough on regardless. (...)Time is running out. As the Scottish Government our responsibility, indeed our duty, is to protect Scotland’s

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interests in the Brexit process. We are fully aware of the extent to which the UK government has staked reputational capital on exiting the 45 transition period at the end of 2020, but there are far more important things at stake than that. This is the time for the UK government to live up to its responsibilities and do the right thing, by securing an extension to the end of 2022. We call upon it to do so. >>

https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/research -and-analysis/ 2020/06/covid-19-case-extending-brexit-transition-period/documents/covid-19-case-extending-brexit-transition-period/covid-19-case-extending-brexit-transition-period/gov scot%3Adocument/covid-19-case-extending-brexit-transition-period.pdf

Maree Todd MSP (SNP)

03/06/2020 <<Highland MSP calls for Brexit extension to protect jobs MSP Maree Todd has called on the UK government to extend the Brexit transition period in light of coronavirus– with new analysis showing billions of pounds could be wiped from the Scottish economy. (… )Ms Todd said: “Coronavirus is causing enormous economic disruption and people across the Highlands & Islands expect government to be focused on protecting public health and the Scottish economy.“It would be an act of extraordinary recklessness for the UK government to allow us to crash out of the transitionperiod at the end of this year.“The SNP believe the best future for Scotland is as an independent member of the EU.“But regardless of your opinion on Brexit or independence, it makes no sense to crash out of the European singlemarket at precisely the moment we need stability.“Businesses in the Highlands & Islands are focused on securing their future – they simply don’t have the capacity to prepare for Brexit on top of a pandemic.“The UK government must do the sensible thing, protect jobs in the Highlands & Islands and extend the transition period.”>>https://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk/news/highlanders-call-to-suspend-brexit- 201698/ https://www.orcadian.co.uk/maree-todd-msp-calls-for-brexit-extension-to-safeguard-scots-economy/

Richard Lochhead MSP (SNP)

03/06/2020 <<Extend Brexit transition to protect Moray jobs – LochheadMORAY's MSP has called on the UK Government to extend the Brexit transition period in light of coronavirus.“As a Scottish Government study shows that billions could be wiped from the Scottish economy, SNP MSP Richard Lochhead says the UK Government must do the "sensible" thing to extend the transition as Moray businesses can't be expected to properly prepare for Brexit amid a pandemic.”>>https://www.northern-scot.co.uk/news/extend-brexit-transition-to-protect-moray-jobs-lochhead-201762/

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https://www.s trathspey-herald.co.uk/news/highlanders-call-to-suspend-brexit- 201698/

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI

01/06/2020 Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the Confederation of British Industry <<Business cannot prepare for a no-deal Brexit in the middle of a pandemicMany firms are clinging on during the coronavirus crisis and have no capacity to to contemplate failure in talks with EUFor many firms fighting to keep their heads above water through the crisis, the idea of preparing for a chaotic change in EU trading relations in seven months is beyond them. They are not remotely prepared. Faced with the desperate challenges of the pandemic, their resilience and ability to cope is almost zero.With 40 percent of the economy closed, 8 million people in furlough and not working, the U.K. is already in recession. Stockpiles that were built up in preparation for a no-deal outcome in March, October and December last year have been used to plug supply shortages created by the pandemic, while half of all manufacturers are having difficulty reconnecting their supply chains.Many businesses, especially smaller ones, have burned through cash reserves they would have otherwise used for rainy days. One logistics firm would need to hire 300 new border officials starting in June to prepare for a no-trade deal Brexit, and are asking whether they should do this — and how this can possibly be a sensible use of their stretched resources.(...)Before COVID-19, the U.K. led the world in professional services trade, with the country’s auditors, accountantsand architects landing business across the globe. But services trade has collapsed, with company surveys showing the greatest fall in all measures since records began.Perhaps by the end of the year these companies will be climbing back onto their feet. However, an abrupt introduction of restrictions on trade and movement with the EU at that point would be a hammer blow.(…) The desire for no further delay is understandable. After all, the U.K. made its choice in the Brexit referendumnearly four years ago now, and it is not clear extending the transition period would necessarily bring a better dealin the future.But while it may be tempting for some to down tools and accept that WTO terms are the best either side can hope for, there are many livelihoods and businesses at stake. The current air of resignation surrounding the Brexit talks must be shaken off. This is why a new dynamic and determination on both sides is so essential.In recent months, political leaders across Europe have shown that what previously may have been thought of as impossible is not. A good deal with the EU will be just one strand of the U.K.'s national recovery from the pandemic, but it will be one of the most important for the future of our economy, jobs and livelihoods.>>

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https://www.po litico.eu/article/business-cannot-prepare-for-a-no-deal-brexit- in- the-middle-of-a-pandemic/ https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/business-cannot-prepare-for-no-d eal-brexit-during-coronavirus/

Nick Cohen 01/06/2020 Nick Cohen, The Spectator. <<The lethal combination of Brexit and Covid“The combination of Covid-19 and Brexit is a double whammy. The first was a haymaker that hit Britain from nowhere. The follow up will come when Britain, quite deliberately and with malice aforethought, winds up its fist and punches itself in the face. The economic impact of the virus will be accentuated by the UK leaving the EU without a deal or with a meagre free-trade agreement, warns a grim report, sponsored by the Best for Britain think tank.(….)The authors put it like this: ‘With public debt spiralling, the Government is boxing itself into a fiscal corner unless it extends the transition period and secures a trade deal at the end of the ongoing negotiations.’Objectively, the recommendation makes sense. If Boris Johnson were to appear at a press conference and announce that he was asking the EU for an extension to the trade talks because of the pandemic, the majority of the public would understand. The country, people would reason, had enough to cope with already without adding to its troubles.”>>spectator.co.uk/article/the-lethal-combination-of-brexit-and-covid

Rachel Sylvester, The Times / Best forBritain

01/06/2020 Rachel Sylvester, The Times / Best for Britain. <<Red Wall Tories won’t forgive a no-deal Brexit.Former Labour voters in the north and Midlands say the transition period should be extended to avoid economic harm.“Focus group research conducted last month for Best for Britain in the red wall seats showed that people’s priorities appear to have changed as a result of Covid-19. When voters in Warrington South were asked whether they thought the government should request an extension so they could concentrate on the pandemic, a 53-year-old man replied: “One million per cent. Everyone’s focus is on health and safety. One good thing about coronavirus is that we stop talking about bloody Brexit.” A 59-year-old woman in Bury South agreed that: “people’s health is so much more important than Brexit” while in Don Valley one voter suggested it would be“selfish” for the new Tory MP there to oppose extending the transition period. “It’s then taking the focus off something that is killing people,” they said. “The health of the country has got to come first, the state of the NHS and the economy. . . it’s no good pumping resources into Brexit when it’s needed elsewhere.(…)What is more, the Tories’ new supporters in red wall seats would be among the worst affected. Already the industrial heartlands are at the sharp end of a surge in job losses, with workers being made redundant in large

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numbers and vacancies shrinking as a result of the lockdown. A report by the Social Market Foundation, published at the weekend, warned of the “severe economic disruption” that would face the northwest and theMidlands if the Covid-19 crisis was compounded by a no-deal Brexit. The imposition of tariffs could force up the cost of living, which would have a disproportionate impact on the lowest paid. ”>>

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/red-wall-tories-won-t-forgive-a-no-deal-brexit-spgdmt5pq

Stephen Dorrell,European Movement

01/06/2020 Stephen Dorrell, campaign video tweet. “Extend the transition. Focus on COVID-19.” https://twitter.com/euromove/status/1267429437693255683

The Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide/ GreaterBirmingham Chambers of Commerce

01/06/2020 The Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide/ Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.<< UK Government has repeatedly insisted it will not ask for an extension to the transition period – and will decline any such request from the EU.Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce want the Government to re-think its position.Chief executive Paul Faulkner says the business community needs time to recover from the coronavirus pandemic before facing more disruption to trading conditions.He said: “While coronavirus has understandably dominated the headlines and business planning in recent months, Brexit is not over yet.“June is a critical month for Brexit negotiations. By the end of it, we should know how likely a deal (or not) is looking.(….)“We also know that many of the businesses hardest hit by this, such as those in the retail and automotive sectors are also the most exposed to Brexit risk due to the nature of their international supply chains and EU citizens in their workforces.“We urge the Government to change their narrow thinking position on refusing an extension to negotiations.“British business has just faced its greatest crisis since the Second World War. If a comprehensive deal cannot be agreed, the business community needs time to rebuild resilience before it faces the biggest change to the UK’s political and trading relationships for a generation too.”ttps://pciaw.org/industry-news/brexit-government-must-alter-narrow-thinking- on-transition-period/ https://www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/latest- news/news/2020/6/1/brexit-government-must-alt er-narrow-thinking-on- transition-period/

Dr Philippa 31/05/2020 Dr Philippa Whitford MP / Scottish National Party

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Whitford MP / Scottish National Party

<<The SNP has warned that “time is fast running out” to secure an extension to the Brexit transition period to protect the economy, jobs, businesses, and people’s livelihoods from an “economic body blow” – with reports growing that a top-level summit in mid-June could be planned to address the deadlock in talks.A new report published by the Social Market Foundation today also reveals that Scotland would suffer severe economic disruption if it was dragged out of the EU without a deal at the end of this year – with key sectors facing a double economic hit due to the pandemic, putting thousands of jobs at risk.(...)Commenting, SNP Shadow Brexit spokesperson Dr Philippa Whitford MP said:"Time is now fast running out to agree an extension to the Brexit transition period to protect the economy, businesses and people’s livelihoods from another economic body blow.“We are in the midst of a health pandemic and businesses are already struggling to survive.“They simply do not have the ability to also prepare for a hard or No-Deal Brexit in just a few months’ time."The new impact analysis published by the Social Market Foundation also adds to the evidence of the severe double economic hit facing Scotland's diverse sectors - including manufacturing and finance - as a result of pursuing Brexit and dealing with the coronavirus crisis.“...”“As the final round of talks gets underway - and with reports emerging of a top-level summit to try and break theimpasse - it is vital the Prime Minister grabs the lifeline of an extension to the transition period so that efforts canbe fully focussed on tackling the biggest health and economic crisis of our time.">>http://www.thehighlandtimes.com/news/2020/ 05/31/new-report-highlights- severe-impact-of-no-deal-brexit-on-scotland/

Sadiq Khan, Mayorof London

01/06/2020 Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London: Letter to Michael Gove calling for an extension to the transition period. <<The pro-Remain London Mayor insisted the “last thing” the UK needs is “more chaos and uncertainty” duringthe coronavirus crisis.Mr Khan said: “No one anticipated when voting for Brexit that the key negotiations would take place at a time when all governments are rightly focused on fighting a global pandemic.“The last thing the country needs as it tries to find a way back from the devastation wreaked by coronavirus is more chaos and uncertainty.“I urge the Government to put political ideology aside and pursue the pragmatic route of seeking an extension to the negotiations so that we and out European partners can focus on recovery from Covid-19.”>>Full text of letter.<<Dear Michael,The Covid-19 pandemic poses a grave threat to Londoners' jobs and livelihoods, with the prospect of a global

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recession now hanging over us.

Most Londonders will be deeply disappointed that at a tme of crisis, the Government is putting dogma ahead of the national interest. No one anticipated when voting for Brexit that the key negotiations would take place at a time when all governments are rightly focussed on fighting a global pandemic.

The last thing the country needs as it tries to find a way back from the devastation wreaked by Cronavirus is more chaos and uncertainty. I urge the government to put political ideology aside and pursue the pragmatic route of seeking an extension to the negotiations so that we and our European partners can focus on recovery from Covid-19.

Covid-19 is the biggest health, social and economic emergency we have faced since the Second World War. Further disruption, in the form of tariffs, red tape and new immigration rules when we leave the single market and customs union at the end of the year, would be needless and hazardous. Close regulatory alignment with the EU has never been more vital to protect our economy and support its recovery from the impacts of Covid-19.

The government's negotiations with the EU and other countries are highly unlikely to progress towards meaningful results and agreements while the pandemic continues. An extension to the transition period is now urgently needed to give business and public services some certainty that they won't face the threat of another cliffedge in six months' time. Otherwise the Government risks undermining the unprecedented steps it has taken to protect jobs and livelihoods, by prolonging uncertainty about our economy and the terms on which future trade will be conducted.Yours sincerely,Sadiq KhanMayor of London>>https://twitter.com/PickardJE/status/1267362471158915072https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1289701/Bre xit-news-Sadiq-Khan- extension-letter-Michael-Gove-EU-December-31-2020 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-sadiq-khan-transition-extension-labour-coronavirus-a9542391.html https://www.ft.com/content/880ba672-3349-4b16-8bb5-013226379a1a https://www.cityam.com/sadiq-khan-calls-for-extension-to-brexit-transition-period/

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Kathryn Petrie and Amy Norman, Best for Britain/ Social Market Foundation

31/05/2020 (Commissioned by) Best for Britain: Assessing the economic implications of coronavirus and Brexit, by Kathryn Petrie and Amy Norman (Social Market Foundation) << “How policymakers should respond to the picture revealed in this report is beyond our remit here. For the avoidance of doubt, this report does not take a position on which form Brexit should take or express any view onthe choices that policymakers should make over Britain’s future relationship with the EU. We acknowledge that our sponsors take a clear view about those policy choices, including on the possible extension of transitional arrangements. The SMF expresses no view on that, in this report or elsewhere.” “Given the large increase in government expenditure as a result of coronavirus it is hard to see how the Government could afford another stimulus package in early 2021 due to failing to secure a deal without adding to already unprecedented borrowing and potentially testing the patience of gilt buyers.”>>In considerable and regional detail, this evidence-based report shows how COVID-19 plus No Deal will break the eUK conomy beyong our ability to fix it. And leaves you to draw whatevcer conclusion you choose. Described by BfB CEO Naomi Smith as “a report commissioned by the Best for Britain group, warning of a profound economic impact of ending the transition period on December 31”.

https://www.bestforbritain.org/impactassessment https://www.smf.co.uk/publications/assessing-the-economic-implications-of-coronavirus-and-brexit/ https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/31/key-election-battlegrounds-face-double-hit-from-brexit-and-coronavirus https://leftfootforward.org/2020/06/where-the-covid-brexit-double-whammy- will-hit-hardest-new-report/ For a hostile analysis (04/06/2020): https://globalvisionuk.com/analysis-social-market-foundations-report-on-coronavirus-and-brexit/

Indirect Tax Matters

01/05/2020 Indirect Tax Matters May 2020<<Is Brexit on track? Some significant bodies both in UK and EU have cast doubt on the current transition deadline (31 December 2020) and that an extension may be sought but more likely later in year. Vicky Price (Chief Economist/Economics & Business Research London) was recently quoted as saying “The government insists that all is on track, but we all suspect NOT”, while Mr. Kallum Pickering (Economist Berenberg) said “we should not rule an extension out despite the official position….(UK) ministers would likely accept a 6 or 12 month delay given the circumstances”. Chief at Europe and UK Signum Global (a political risk advisory body), Ms Anna Rosenberg has said that the coronavirus crisis had increased the odds of an extension from 20% to 60%. >>

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https://www2.deloitte.com/ie/en/pages/tax/articles/itm-is-brexit-on-track.

Irish Times 19/03/2020 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/the-irish-times-view-on-brexit-delay-is-almost-certain-1.4206256

Professor Alex de Ruyter, Director of the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University

30/05/2020 https://www.express.co.uk/ <<Brexit warning: UK desperately needs trade deal more than EU experts believeProfessor Alex de Ruyter, Director of the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University, explained to Express.co.uk: “The EU holds all the advantage in the post-Brexit trade talks."As the UK conducts about half of its trade with the EU, whilst the EU in total only exports about 10 percent of its products to the UK, which will be heavily concentrated in certain sectors like automotive and fall more on countries like Germany."So whilst both sides would take a hit from ‘No Deal’, the effects would be far more severe for the UK.When asked if the UK should extend the transition period beyond December 31, 2020, Professor de Ruyter added: "Yes, for all the reasons alluded to above. COVID-19 has sapped the ability of Government to devote time and resources to this."The prospect of a No Deal coming on top of the coronavirus disruption could tip many businesses over the edgeand would devastate our manufacturing sector.">>

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1288279/brexit-news-uk-eu-trade-deal-latest-brexit-transition-period-boris-johnson-barnier-frost

UK Trade Policy Observatory. Prof. L. Alan Winters, Mattia Di Ubaldo, Palitha Konara.

27/05/2020 (L. Alan Winters CB is Professor of Economics and Director of the UK Trade Policy Observatory (UKTPO). Mattia Di Ubaldo is a Research Fellow in the Economics of European Trade Policies, and Palitha Konara is a Senior Lecturer in International Business at the University of Sussex. Both are Fellows of the UKTPO.)<<COVID-19 will reinforce the Brexit shock. “COVID-19 and Brexit may appear as independent shocks but, in fact, they are interrelated. First, as the UKTPOand many others have argued, because COVID has disrupted the preparation for and conduct of negotiations on the future UK-EU trading arrangements, the UK government should ask for an extension to the transition period. This would allow the UK and EU to work out details of mutual cooperation that will be beneficial on both sides of the channel.Second, COVID and Brexit, in either its ‘No deal’ or its FTA form, are linked in a more direct and more harmful way – company debt. COVID is creating a mountain of debt and this will make the already difficult job of adjusting to Brexit more difficult.”

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https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/uktpo/2020/05/27/covid-19-will-reinforce-the-brexit- shock/

Struan Stevenson, former Tory MEP

30/05/2020 <<A former Tory MEP has urged Boris Johnson to extend the deadline for the Brexit transition period as he warned failing to secure a trade deal, combined with the impact of Covid-19, would be “catastrophic” for the economy.Struan Stevenson, who was a Conservative representative at Brussels for 15 years, insisted it “makes sense” to have longer for the transition talks because economists are already predicting “a recession to end all recessions” following the coronavirus pandemic.Stevenson argued that “throwing a cliff-edge Brexit into the mix” as the economy faces the prospect of a coronavirus-related recession would be devastating.Writing in The Herald newspaper, he urged Johnson: “Grant an extension to the Brexit deadline, Boris. You know it makes sense.A decision on whether or not to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period must be made by July 1. It would surely be prudent and entirely understandable given the Covid-19 pandemic to ask for a six-month extension, even if that extension was ultimately found not to be needed?”>>https://news.stv.tv/politics/extend-brexit-talks-or-risk-catastrophic-hit-to-economy https://www.scotsman.com/news/pol itics/extend-brexit-talks-or-risk-catastrophic-hit-economy-ex-tory-mep-warns-2869569 https://www.theneweuropean.c o.uk/top-stories/conservative-politician-calls- on-prime-minister-to-extend-brexit-talks-1-6677557

Institute for Government

30/05/2020 <<Implementing Brexit: securing more timeTime is short for the UK and the EU to agree and ratify the terms of their future relationship – and coronavirus has added to the pressure. This paper has set out five options for both sides to secure more time after the 31 December deadline. >>https:/ /www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/implementing-brexit-securing-more-time

Chemical Business Association (CBA)

28/05/2020 <<CBA urges UK to consider Brexit transition period extension option.The UK should take the "pragmatic approach" of keeping open the option to extend the Brexit transition period, the Chemical Business Association (CBA) has said.In a 4 May letter to the business minister and parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Nadhim Zahawi MP, the CBA said the final decision to extend should bedependent "on both Covid-19 decompression and the progress made on an UK/EU free trade agreement".The CBA’s letter, signed by chief executive Peter Newport, was made public on 28 May, ahead of round four of

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trade talks from 1–4 June. It names unresolved Brexit trading and regulatory issues, the Covid-19 pandemic and the possibility of an imminent recession as the main issues the UK’s chemical supply chain is facing."Together, they provide a perfect storm for the UK economy. The CBA believes their potential cumulative impact should guide the UK government’s industrial strategy."(....) Rejecting an extension to the transition period "out of hand" increases the risk of a no-deal exit from the EU, it added. "Politics appears to have trumped pragmatism unless a deal can be secured within the astonishingly short time remaining." >>https://chemicalwatch.com/121010/cba-urges-uk-to-consider-brexit-transition-perio d-extension-option

Philip Dunne MP, Chair, Audit Committee, House of Commons

06/05/2020 <<Chemical Watch : MPs restate post-Brexit chemicals strategy concerns after Covid-19 delayThe new chair of a UK parliamentary committee has expressed his concerns over the government's post-Brexit chemicals strategy, after its development was suspended due to the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic.In a letter to minister of state George Eustice, Environmental Audit Committee chair Philip Dunne said that given the delays already incurred, the decision to pause work on it in order to prioritise the government's response to the pandemic was "regrettable".(.....)The committee is concerned, it says, that ongoing uncertainty for the sector could damage access to vital chemicals for business after the transition period. This will expire at the end of the year, unless an extension is agreed with the EU by the end of June.Clelia Oziel, Europe correspondent>>https://chemicalwatch.com/114110/mps-restate-post-brexit-chemicals -strategy- concerns-after-covid-19-delay

Institute of Export & International Trade

28/05/2020 <<Brexit transition extension: the two camps on either side of the argument – and in between(…...)For an extension: opposition political parties and logistics trade bodies including BIFA, the FTA and the RHAWho: Opposition parties are urging the government to seek an extension to the transition period, while its steadfast refusal to do so is reportedly a source of tension among civil servants within the UK’s negotiating team.From the international trade camp, the freight forwarding sector led by its trade association BIFA, the Freight Transport Association and Road Haulage Association have been the most direct in calling for a delay to the transition’s end.The arguments: These boil down to the distraction of managing COVID-19 and a lack of time to secure trade deals, organise logistical changes and ensure effective legislation is in place.Politicians in opposition parties, to whom Michel Barnier’s letter was addressed this week, cite the “catastrophic

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economic impact” of COVID-19 as reason enough to delay full Brexit.The RHA echoes this argument, its chief executive Richard Burnett saying COVID-19 means hauliers, while supporting Brexit, “are simply not in a position to give the complexity of future trade arrangements with the EU the necessary focus”.BIFA has said it has “great reservations” on whether the logistics industry can be ready in time for 31 December, calling no extension “risky and unwise”.>>https://www.export.org.uk/news/509862/Brexit-transition-extension-the-two-camps-on-either-side-of-the-argument--and-in-between.htm

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1. International, government, politics, law, faiths

(See also items listed below in section 4: Campaigns, polls and petitions.)

Kristalina Georgieva, IMF

16/04/2020 Managing Director, International Monetary Fund. “The United Kingdom should ask for an extension to its post-Brexit transition period to ease uncertainty at a timewhen the world economy is being hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, the head of the International Monetary Fund said."It is tough as it is. Let's not make it any tougher," Kristalina Georgieva told BBC radio in comments broadcast on Thursday."My advice would be to seek ways in which this element of uncertainty is reduced in the interests of everybody, of the UK, of the European Union, the whole world."”https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/uk-time-brexit-transition-imf-200416080226131.html https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52304821

“Government sources”

17/03/2020 <<UK 'prepares to seek Brexit tr ansition extension' as coronavirus crisis grows. EU sources said hopes of conducting full negotiation round via videolink had been crushed by Covid-19 outbreakByPeter Foster, EUROPE EDITOR ; James Crisp, BRUSSELS CORRESPONDENT and Asa BennettDetailed Brexit trade negotiations planned for this week were cancelled on Monday, with Government sources indicating that the UK is preparing the ground to seek a mutually agreed extension to the talks in the coming weeks.As the coronavirus crisis deepened, senior Whitehall sources also confirmed that civil servants who had been working on Brexit "no deal" preparations were being actively redeployed into virus crisis management.>>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/03/17/uk-prepares-seek-eu-trade-talks-ext ension-coronavirus-crisis/

“Government sources”

17/03/2020 <<Brexit threat: Coronavirus could force transition extension - Officials admit delay neededThe coronavirus outbreak gripping the world could force the UK to ask for an extension to the Brexit transition period. BILL MCLOUGHLINTalks were scheduled to be held in London between EU and UK officials today. However, due to the spread of the virus, both sides confirmed talks would be cancelled. Although Dominic Raab maintained there would be no need to seek an extension to Brexit, according to The Daily Telegraph, Government sources have indicated theUK is preparing to seek an extension in the coming weeks.>> https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1256623/Brexit-news-coronavirus-latest-uk-extension-transition-Michel-barnier-talks

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Terry Reintke MEP(Greens)

26/04/2020 Europe Street news. Interview with MEP Terry Reintke: the EU-UK friendship group and why Brits should participate in EU’s future debateWhat aspects of citizens’ rights will be discussed in the negotiations on the future EU-UK relationship?Right now, under the circumstances we are in, I don’t see anything substantial about the future relationship that can be discussed by the end of the year and be sustainable for the future. My appeal is: please, please extend the deadline of the Brexit transition beyond 31 December. I say this constructively given the difficulties we face withthe coronavirus crisis. Even Boris Johnson fell ill, so let’s focus on fighting the virus now and address negotiations later, and really put citizens’ rights at their core.https://eu ropestreet.news/german-mep-says-brits-should-be-included-in-future-of-eu-debate/

Terry Reintke MEP(Greens)

05/06/2020 UK needs transition extension to avoid disastrous outcomeGerman Greens MEP Terry Reintke has appealed to the UK to ask for an extension to the Brexit transitionperiod beyond 31 December amid “special circumstances”. Senior MEP Terry Reintke has appealed to the UK to ask the EU for an extension to the Brexit transition period beyond 31 December. Her appeal comes with the talks deadlocked and growing pessimism about a no-deal exit.The two sides will conclude the fourth round of talks on Friday, with insiders saying little progress has been made on key areas such as fisheries and the so-called level playing field. If there is to be an extension both sides must agree to this by 1 July.As the latest round of talks draw to a close, Reintke, a German Greens deputy, told The Parliament Magazine, "To avoid a disastrous outcome for both sides, an extension is what is needed in these more than special circumstances.” She continued, “My appeal is: Extend the deadline and take the time to negotiate a good deal for both sides. A no-deal scenario will put all citizens and their rights at risk." https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/news/uk-needs-transition-extension-avoid-disastrous-outcome

David McAllister MEP, Christophe Hansen MEP,European People's Party

30/03/2020 The EPP Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 187 Members from all EU MemberStates. David McAllister MEP, Chair of the UK Coordination Group in the European Parliament. Christophe Hansen MEP, Negotiator of the post-Brexit agreement in the European Parliament’s Committeeon International Trade.<<Extension of Brexit transition is the responsible thing to do “As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt activities worldwide, including the negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom on their future partnership, the EPP Group in the European Parliament wants to discuss an extension of the transition period beyond its current deadline at the end of this year.“Under these extraordinary circumstances, I cannot see how the UK Government would choose to expose itself

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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”, said Christophe Hansen MEP, negotiator of the post-Brexit agreement in the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, ahead of the first meeting of the EU-UK Joint Committee, a body set up to oversee the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement.“The Coronavirus pandemic complicates the already very ambitious schedule”, said David McAllister MEP, Chair of the UK Coordination Group in the European Parliament. “The EU has always been open to extending the transition period. The ball is now clearly in the British court. The United Kingdom would have to submit an official request. So far, the UK government has constantly rejected such an option. Under the current circumstances, London should carefully re-examine a prolongation."Both MEPs clearly rejected any attempts to re-open the terms of the current Withdrawal Agreement. “The implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement is extremely important for us - we would like to see guarantees that the UK will fulfil all its commitments stemming from the Withdrawal Agreement and the Irish Protocol”, Hansen and McAllister concluded.”https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/news/extension-of-brexit-transition-the-responsible-thing-to-do https://www.theparliamentaryreview.co.uk/news/boris-johnson-asked- to-extend-transition-period-amid-coronavirus-pandemic https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/mar/30/extend-brexit-transi tion-by-years-over-coronavirus-uk-told https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52101096

Simon Coveney 05/05/2020 Tánaiste (Finance Minister), Ireland.<<“Brexit trade talks timeline ‘virtually impossible’, says Coveney. Tanaiste Simon Coveney has urged the UK to seek an extension to its transition period.”Mr Coveney said the Covid-19 pandemic means the UK should seek an extension and progress so far this year has been much slower than the EU had hoped for.“Covid-19 has made what is already a very, very difficult timeline to get agreement virtually impossible,” the Tanaiste said.(….)“I wouldn’t be raising expectations around the British Government agreeing to seeking more time.“If we’re going to have any chance of persuading them to take more time then we need to be careful about how we do that because demanding it from them … almost as a concession to the EU, is certainly not the way to do it.” https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/brexit/brexit-trade-talks-timeline- virtually-impossible-says-coveney-

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39191757.html https://ww w.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/savvy-diplomacy-needed- to-achieve-brexit-talks-extension-coveney-1.4247 920 `

Senator Neale Richmond

06/06/2020 <<A LEADING Irish politician has called for the Scottish Government to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to put pressure on Boris Johnson to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period.Senator Neale Richmond spoke out as the latest round of talks between the UK and EU over the future relationship ended in deadlock yesterday.The Fine Gael politician – a close ally of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar – called for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to work together to lobby the Prime Minister to seek an extension which would allow the UK to remain in the European single market and customs union. The deadline for such a request is the end of this month.Richmond also urged the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)and National Farmers’ Union (NFU) to call for an extension – saying he was surprised the two organisations had yet to do so.“The prospect of a No-Deal by the end of the year is now more likely than before and even if we are to achieve a deal it will be extremely narrow,” he said. “There is scope for the devolved administrations to really put the pressure on London.“But I think the pressure needs to be more than just political it also has to be societal. I would continue to encourage not just Scottish political friends and colleagues but also the business sector, the agri-food sectorand fishing sector to really ramp up the level of pressure on London to seek an extension.“The fact that organisations like the CBI and the NFU have yet to call for an extension is absolutely mind blowing when you look at what the economic effect would be on these sectors.”The Scottish and Welsh Governments have repeatedly called for a longer transition period and, earlier thisweek, the Northern Irish Assembly voted for an extension on the grounds imposing checks on goods travelling across the Irish Sea would be too complex while the country is grappling with the virus’s effects.>>

https://www.thenational.scot/news/18500299.irish-senator-urges-devolved-nations-seek-brexit-extension/

Norbert Röttgen 26/04/2020 Chair of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee “Boris Johnson must extend the UK’s transition out of the EU for up to two years to avoid compounding the economic damage of the coronavirus pandemic with a hugely disruptive and disorderly Brexit, according to a close ally of Angela Merkel.In an interview with the Observer, Norbert Röttgen, chair of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, said it

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was now impossible to see how the UK and other EU countries could agree even a minimal outline free trade agreement this year because the talks were so behind schedule.”https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/26/brexit-want-to-leave-the-eu-y oull-need-two-more-years-merkel-ally-warns-britain

Scottish Government: Michael Russell MSP

20/04/2020 Constitution Secretary, Scottish Government <<The UK Government is being urged to ask the European Union (EU) for the maximum two-year extension to the Brexit transition period.Constitution Secretary Michael Russell said it is essential for the UK Government to seek the full extension on offer to avoid further damage to jobs, wellbeing and the economy.Mr Russell said it was reckless for the UK Government to continue negotiations, pushing forward its plans for a hard Brexit, at the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.>>https://www.gov.scot/news/extend-bre xit-transition-during-covid-19-crisis/

Welsh Government 24/03/2020 "The Brexit transition period should be extended as the UK tackles the coronavirus outbreak, the Welsh Government has said.A letter from Mark Drakeford to the prime minister says not doing so could cause a further "economic shock".””https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-52022855https://twitter.com/jamswilliams85/status/1242466735774556164/photo /1

Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales

24/03/2020 Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales The Brexit transition period should be extended as the UK tackles the coronavirus outbreak, the Welsh Government has said.A letter from Mark Drakeford to the prime minister says not doing so could cause a further "economic shock".The UK plans to negotiate a deal with the European Union by the end of the transition, in December.Conservative assembly member Andrew RT Davies said Mr Drakeford's intervention was "bizarre".Full Brexit talks are currently on hold amid the outbreak.In his letter the first minister said it seemed "simply implausible to continue the negotiations to the timeframe originally envisaged, under these circumstances".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-52022855

Ian Blackford MP, Sir Ed Davey MP, Liz Saville Roberts MP, Caroline Lucas

17/05/2020 <<“Save us, Michel! Shameless arch-Remainers launch shock Brexit plot - Barnier urged to act. ARCH-REMAINERS have launched a shock Brexit plot and have urged Michel Barnier to act to wreck Britain's exit from the EU

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MP, Stephen Farry MP, Colum Eastwood MP

Both the SNP leader at Westminster Ian Blackford and the acting Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey have signed a letter to the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to support a Brexit delay. They told Mr Barnier there is "significant opposition" to the UK Government's refusal to consider extending the timetable for talks. The letter to Mr Barnier has also been signed by Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts, Green MP Caroline Lucas, Stephen Farry, MP from the Alliance Party, as well as fellow Northern Ireland MP Colum Eastwood of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. 17/05/2020https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1283251/brexit-news-brexit-trade- talks-brexit-delay-michel-barnier-ian-blackford-snp-lib-dems-ed-d

The stalemate has prompted the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, the SDLP, Greens and Alliance Party to write a joint letter to Mr Barnier to voice their “deep concern at the lack of progress”.“Leaving the EU with a bad deal – or no deal – this year would be catastrophic for many businesses already struggling to survive,” the parties state. “With only weeks left, it is critical that this scenario does not come to pass.”The letter argues that “a consensus is taking shape” and expresses the hope that “the UK government will soon recognise reality”, asking Mr Barnier to “prioritise this issue in the final round of negotiations”.https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/clamour-brexit-delay-trade-talks-brink-collapse-2855417 https://www.thenational.scot/news/18454987.snp-among-six-parties-urging- barnier-prioritise-brexit-extension/

Philip Dunne MP, Chair, Audit Committee, House of Commons

06/05/2020 <<Chemical Watch : MPs restate post-Brexit chemicals strategy concerns after Covid-19 delayThe new chair of a UK parliamentary committee has expressed his concerns over the government's post-Brexit chemicals strategy, after its development was suspended due to the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic.In a letter to minister of state George Eustice, Environmental Audit Committee chair Philip Dunne said that given the delays already incurred, the decision to pause work on it in order to prioritise the government's response to the pandemic was "regrettable".(.....)The committee is concerned, it says, that ongoing uncertainty for the sector could damage access to vital chemicals for business after the transition period. This will expire at the end of the year, unless an extension is agreed with the EU by the end of June.Clelia Oziel, Europe correspondent>>

https://chemicalwatch.com/114110/mps-restate-post-brexit-chemicals-strategy-concerns-after-covid-19-delay

House of Commons,Early Day Motion

26/05/2020 <<Extension of EU transition periodTabled 18 May 2020

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That this House notes with concern the UK Government’s stated position to stick rigidly to its timeline of ending the EU transition period in December 2020; recognises that this significantly increases the risk of a no-deal exit; further recognises that it will be impossible for the vast majority of businesses and communities to prepare for life outside the single market and customs union while coping with the effect of the covid-19 pandemic at the same time; notes that the devolved Governments did not give their consent to the Government’s EU Withdrawal Agreement legislation; concludes that the only realistic and reasonable approach is for the Government to revise its timeline for negotiation; further notes that Article 132 of the Withdrawal Agreement contains provisions for the UK-EU Joint Committee to adopt a single decision extending the transition for up to one or two years; calls on the Government to request a two-year extension to the transition period.>> Blackford, Ian, Scottish National PartyThewliss, Alison. Scottish National PartyMacAskill, Kenny, Scottish National PartyBrock, Deidre, Scottish National PartyFarry, Stephen, AllianceEastwood, Colum, Social Democratic & Labour PartySaville Roberts, Liz, Plaid CymruWilliams, Hywel, Plaid CymruLake, Ben, Plaid CymruEdwards, Jonathan, Plaid CymruLucas, Caroline, Green PartyDavey, Sir Edward, Liberal DemocratGibson, Patricia, Scottish National PartyGrady, Patrick, Scottish National PartyCallaghan, Amy, Scottish National PartyLaw, Chris, Scottish National PartyHendry, Drew, Scottish National PartyBardell, Hannah, Scottish National PartyDorans, Allan, Scottish National PartySmith, Alyn, Scottish National Partyhttps://ed m.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/56990/extension-of-eu-transition- period

David Linden MP (Glasgow East) (SNP)

03/06/2020 House of Commons – Hansard. David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP)<<I rise tonight to present a petition on behalf of my east end constituents, who rightly wish to see an extension

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of the Brexit transition period. It is clear as day that our time as legislators is understandably being consumed by the coronavirus pandemic, but we risk the very grave danger of sleepwalking into the territory of no deal with Brussels, which I certainly cannot stand by and condone. Her Majesty’s Government therefore must extend the Brexit transition period without delay and avoid the country being plunged into further chaos.Following is the full text of the petition:(The petition of residents of Glasgow East constituency,Declares that current Coronavirus pandemic should be the primary focus of Her Majesty’s Government at this time; believes it is deeply unhelpful that the prospect of a No Deal cliff edge on 30th June remains on the negotiating table with Brussels and considers that local businesses could get through the inevitable Coronavirus recession without having extra uncertainty or new rules and red tape to get used to at the end of the year.The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges Her Majesty’s Government to seek an immediate extension to the Brexit transition period without delay.And the petitioners remain, etc.)>>

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-06-03/debates/024466A4-A66E-4 8F7-B230-CAE85F9DFBCC/ExtensionOfTheBrexitTransitionPeriod

Richard Corbett 16/05/2020 Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, from 2017 to 2020. "We cannot let the Tories force a no-deal Brexit amid a pandemic”https://labourlist.org/2020/05/we-cannot-let-the-tories-force-a-no-deal-brexit- amid-a-pandemic/

Sir Vince Cable, former leader of theLiberal Democrats

05/06/2020 <<Given the lack of progress during the Covid-19 crisis, should the Brexit transition period be extended?Sir Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and former secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, says YES.“Extending the transition period will become critical as this government limps towards the end of June with no progress at all made in the negotiations. It is important for people in the UK to understand that the EU is not being bloody-minded: EU leaders are focusing on the Covid emergency, and so should we.Meanwhile, the country cannot afford to “crash out” of the transition period at the end of year with no new arrangement in place — it would be a huge double blow to the economy, after an already massive battering from coronavirus and the lockdown. An extension also opens up the prospect of a total reset in the way both sides approach the talks, since it is now clear that the EU needs to adapt to provide an “outer ring” for the non-euro countries and a stronger, more integrated core for those operating the single currency. That outer ring is something the UK should seek to shape,since we could credibly be a part of it in future.”>>

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https://www.cityam.com/debate-given-the-lack-of-progress-during-the-covid-19-crisis-should-the-transi tion-period-be-extended/

Colum Eastwood MP (SDLP, Foyle)

21/05/2020 "Mr. Eastwood said there was a serious risk of the United Kingdom abruptly leaving the European Union's data-sharing regime if a new legal framework is not worked out by December.Speaking during Prime Minister's questions at Westminister Mr. Eastwood said: “In Ireland, both jurisdictions areworking hard to organise contact tracing on a north-south basis, but the Prime Minister’s obsession with avoidinga Brexit transition extension means we risk crashing out without a data-sharing framework, which will critically undermine our ability to protect people from COVID-19.”” 21/05/2020Derry Journal. ”https://www.derryjournal.com/news/politics/derry-mp-colum-eastwood- says-boris-johnsons-obsession-avoiding-brexit-extension-risks-covid-19-contact-tracing-data-cliff-edge-2860195

Liberal Democrat European Group

21/05/2020 Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has today called on the Government to extend the transition period and reverse damaging immigration polices because of the impact of the coronavirus crisis on business.The call comes in response to figures released by the ONS today which reveal 61% of businesses reported a decrease in turnover outside of normal range in England, compared with 66% in Wales, 65% in Scotland and 63% in Northern Ireland between 20 April and 3 May 2020.Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:"A quick recovery by the end of 2020 is a pipe dream. Businesses will likely continue to struggle next year as both a result of the coronavirus crisis and a possible no-deal Brexit with our closest trading partners in the EU."The end to free movement across Europe will make it increasingly hard for business to hire the workers they need. To add insult to injury, the Government has now made attracting workers from across the world even harder with its immigration points system."Coronavirus is the biggest danger to business since the financial crisis and the Government only seeks to compound their difficulties by cutting off access both to workers and markets across Europe."If we are to support business all the way through to the end of this pandemic, we must extend the transition period with the EU and reverse the damaging immigration polices this Government is pursuing."https://ldeg.org/en/article/2020/1361462/davey-fall-in-business-turnover- demands-longer-eu-transition-period

The Liberal Democrats

20/05/2020 “The Liberal Democrats are to take the first steps to try to force the government’s hand to seek a Brexit transitionperiod extension.The opposition party will seek to put forward a bill in the House of Commons next month requiring the government to seek a two-year extension of the Brexit implementation period from Brussels.”

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ht tps://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/lib-dems-ed-davey-on-brexit-transition-period-during-coronavirus-outbreak-1-6662333

Liberal Democrats 09/06/2020 Liberal Democrats tweet: <<By pushing the UK into a no-deal Brexit, the Conservatives could be putting more lives and more jobs at risk. The government must put national interest ahead of Brexit ideology and extend the transition period. >>https://twitter.com/LibDems/status/1270365134238756865

Ed Davey MP, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader

05/06/2020 <<Davey: Extend EU transition nowFollowing the latest round of Brexit negotiations, Michel Barnier today made it clear that there has been no significant progress on numerous issues including Level Playing Field commitments and fishing.Urging the government to extend the transition period, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader Ed Davey said:"Boris Johnson can no longer cross his fingers and hope no one is paying attention to the huge Brexit mess hurtling towards us. We are running out of time."Barnier has made it clear: not enough progress has been made on negotiations."We are now dangerously close to the extension deadline. It is time to do the right thing for our NHS, economy, and vital supplies of food and medicines."The government must stop posturing. Johnson must extend the transition period for the maximum period possible. To entertain any other possibility would be reckless. The UK is already battling the Covid-19 pandemic and facing its biggest recession in generations. There isn't the bandwidth to cope with crashing out of the EU too.">>

https://ldeg.o rg/en/article/2020/1363077/davey-extend-eu-transition-now

Sir Vince Cable, former leader of theLiberal Democrats

05/06/2020 <<Given the lack of progress during the Covid-19 crisis, should the Brexit transition period be extended?Sir Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and former secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, says YES.“Extending the transition period will become critical as this government limps towards the end of June with no progress at all made in the negotiations. It is important for people in the UK to understand that the EU is not being bloody-minded: EU leaders are focusing on the Covid emergency, and so should we.Meanwhile, the country cannot afford to “crash out” of the transition period at the end of year with no new arrangement in place — it would be a huge double blow to the economy, after an already massive battering from coronavirus and the lockdown. An extension also opens up the prospect of a total reset in the way both sides approach the talks, since it is now

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clear that the EU needs to adapt to provide an “outer ring” for the non-euro countries and a stronger, more integrated core for those operating the single currency. That outer ring is something the UK should seek to shape,since we could credibly be a part of it in future.”>>https://www.cityam.com/debate-given-the-lack-of-progress-during-the-covid-19 -crisis-should-the-transition-period-be-extended/

Scottish National Party

03/06/2020 <<Boris Johnson must extend the Brexit transition: here’s why.Coronavirus, coupled with a no-deal Brexit, means economic disaster...Ending the transition period will weaken our efforts to combat the virus too...Scotland has been silenced and sidelined throughout the negotiations...The EU has already put extension on the table – but Boris Johnson is refusing out of hand...It’s time for the UK government to face reality and accept an extension>>

https://www.snp.org/boris-johnson-must-extend-the-brexit-transition-heres-why/

Rachel Reeves MP 17/05/2020On 17 May 2020 Labour Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, Rachel Reeves, told Sky News:<< “We want government to focus wholly at the moment on tackling the coronavirus. But the government are still saying they can get that (EU trade) deal by the end of this year. You'll remember at the election the government saying they had an 'oven-ready deal' and that this would be the simplest deal to negotiate. The government are still saying that is the case. We're saying they mustn't rush this and if they are not going to (get) a secure deal, we mustn't crash out without a deal, so that means taking the time that is necessary but it's up to government to show that they can deliver the promises that they have made to the British people... that is getting a good deal by the end of this year. If they are not in a position to do that then they need to come back and expand the timetable.”' Labour has renewed calls for the Brexit transition period to be extended past the end of 2020 if no trade deal is agreed with the EU, to stop the UK "crashing out". >> https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1283451/brexit-news-labour-party-rachel-reeves-uk-eu-trade-talks -transition-period-extension<<Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves urged negotiators not to "rush"and to "take the time that is necessary".' https://news.sky.com/story/brexit-labour-renews-calls-to-avoid-no-deal- drop-off-from-eu-11989936

Scottish National Party

06/06/2020 <<SNP challenges Jackson Carlaw to join cross-party campaign to extend Brexit timetable(...)

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The SNP has called on Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw to back a cross-party campaign to extend the Brexit timetable and ensure a chaotic no deal is avoided.The Scottish Government this week published analysis highlighting the danger of ending the transition period inthe midst of the pandemic. (…)All opposition parties – except the Tories – backed a Scottish Government’s proposal to extend the Brexit transition period and avoid the prospect of a chaotic No Deal Brexit in the middle of economic upheaval.Earlier this year Jackson Carlaw said he was a “pragmatist” on the question of extending transition.>>

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-challenges-jackson-carlaw-join-22144959

Willie Rennie, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader

03/06/2020 <<Rennie welcomes SNP and Scot Labour support for Brexit transition extensionScottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today welcomed support from the SNP and Scottish Labour for an extension to the Brexit negotiations. On Wednesday 3rd June, Mr Rennie wrote to his fellow Scottish party leaders calling for a joint letter to the Prime Minister proposing an extension and repeated his calls in the Scottish Parliament chamber today.Cabinet Secretary Mike Russell for the SNP and constitution spokesperson Alex Rowley for Labour have now endorsed an extension to negotiations.Mr Rennie said:“On Wednesday I wrote to all the party leaders inviting them to send a joint letter to the UK Government calling for an extension to the Brexit negotiations.“So far I’ve been rejected by Jackson Carlaw. He says government can do two things at once. Yes, that’s true but Brexit is not some minor piece of legislation, it’s the biggest change to our constitutional, political and economic framework in decades and it is reckless to carry on in the middle of a global pandemic. He has obviously not spoken to anyone from the world of Scottish business for some time.“However it is positive that both the SNP and Scottish Labour have confirmed that they are in favour of an extension, not least because Keir Starmer has been reluctant to endorse such proposals at Westminster. It will need effective cross party pressure if we are to stave off a damaging no deal Brexit.“Scottish Liberal Democrats are quite clear that a no deal Brexit would be utterly unacceptable.”

//www.scotlibdems.org.uk/rennie_welcomes_s np_and_scot_labour_support_for_brexit_transition_extension

Tom Arthur MSP (SNP, Renfrewshire South)

06/06/2020 << Renfrewshire South MSP Tom Arthur has urged the UK Government to protect jobs in his constituency by extending the Brexit transition period in light of the coronavirus crisis.With new analysis showing billions of pounds could be wiped from the Scottish economy, the SNP man is keen

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for Westminster to take action to protect local workers.The transition arrangements currently keep the UK close to the European Union (EU) and can be extended for two years – beyond December 31 – if the UK Government asks for an extension by the end of this month.A new study from the Scottish Government claims that, without an extension, Scotland's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) could be more than one per cent lower after two years.It adds that the cumulative loss of economic activity from leaving the EU would be up to £3billion over those two years – on top of the devastating effects of the coronavirus outbreak.The report also highlights that, without an extension or a free trade deal, jobs in the likes of the agriculture and manufacturing sectors will be especially badly hit. Mr Arthur, who is based in Johnstone, said: “Coronavirus is causing enormous economic disruption.“It would be an act of extraordinary recklessness for the UK Government to allow us to crash out of the transition period at the end of this year.“The SNP believe the best future for Scotland is as an independent member of the EU but, regardless of your opinion on Brexit or Independence, it makes no sense to crash out of the European single market at preciselythe moment we need stability.“Businesses in Renfrewshire South are focused on securing their future – they simply don’t have the capacity to prepare for Brexit on top of a pandemic.“The UK Government must do the sensible thing and protect jobs by extending the transition period.”>>https://www.the-gazette.co.uk/news/18497040.renfrewshire-south-msp-tom-arthur-calls-extension-brexit-transition-period-protect-jobs/

Gillian Martin MSP(Aberdeenshire East, SNP)

04/06/2020 <<UK Government must extend Brexit transition to protect rural Scotland says Gillian Martin MSP.Scotland’s rural industries face a “double hammer blow” if the UK government refuses to extend the Brexit transition period in light of coronavirus, the SNP has said.Analysis by the Scottish Government has found that agriculture and fishing sectors would face some of the highest trade costs if the transition period ends this year.In the event of a No Deal Brexit at the end of the transition – which the EU has made clear can be extended by upto two years – these sectors would also face tariffs and quotas when exporting to the EU.SNP MSP Gillian Martin said:“Rural Scotland cannot afford the double hammer blow of Brexit in the midst of a pandemic that is causing major economic disruption.This new research shows that Brexit will leave our crucial agricultural and fishing sectors among the hardest hit.Businesses here simply do not have the capacity to prepare for sky-high Brexit costs, when they are fighting to survive the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

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To push ahead without extending the transition period would be a shocking dereliction of duty by the UK government, leaving Scotland’s rural economy high and dry.An extension is available and Boris Johnson must change course before he inflicts a disastrous hard or no deal Brexit on Scotland in less than seven months’ time.”>>

https://myturriff.co .uk/2020/06/04/uk-government-must-extend-brexit-transition-to-protect-rural-scotland-says-gillian-martin-msp/ http://www .thehighlandtimes.com/news/2020/06/05/uk-government-must-extend-brexit-transition-to-protect-rural-scotland/

Nick de Bois 05/04/2020 Former Tory MP and chief of staff to Dominic Raab as Brexit Secretary.<<It’s heresy in some circles to even whisper the possibility of delaying the Brexit trade negotiation talks with the EU and extending the transition period. Yet it is increasingly likely that they will have to be delayed, not leastbecause it takes two to negotiate. Even if the UK persisted in insisting it can manage the coronavirus pandemic and complete trade talks by the end of this year, the EU may not. (…) A Focaldata poll published last week in The Sunday Times shows a majority of the public, interestingly across every age group, would be support a delay. It would be far better for the country to seize the initiative to delay, rather than be at the mercy of events during this pandemic.>> https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/yes-johnson-should-delay-brexit- trade- negotiations-80czx7qfx https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dominic-raab-ally-calls-for-delay-to - brexit- talks-r5g90rvgn

Kirsten Oswald MP 14/03/2020 Scottish National Party https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/mar/14/calls-to-extend-eu-transition-period-as-europe-fights-coronavirus https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/05/13/minister-kirstenrejects-renewed-calls-for-brexit-transition-extension/ https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/minister-rejects-renewed-calls- for-brexit-transition-extension/13/05/

Caroline Voaden 02/05/2020 Former MEP and leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament “A longer read for the weekend: The case for an extension to the Brexit transition period”https://www.libdemvoice.org/a-longer-read-for-the-weekend-the-case-for-an- extension-to-the-brexit-transition-period-64362.html

Struan Stevenson, former Tory MEP

30/05/2020 <<A former Tory MEP has urged Boris Johnson to extend the deadline for the Brexit transition period as he warned failing to secure a trade deal, combined with the impact of Covid-19, would be “catastrophic”

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for the economy.Struan Stevenson, who was a Conservative representative at Brussels for 15 years, insisted it “makes sense” to have longer for the transition talks because economists are already predicting “a recession to end all recessions” following the coronavirus pandemic.Stevenson argued that “throwing a cliff-edge Brexit into the mix” as the economy faces the prospect of a coronavirus-related recession would be devastating.Writing in The Herald newspaper, he urged Johnson: “Grant an extension to the Brexit deadline, Boris. You know it makes sense.A decision on whether or not to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period must be made by July 1. It would surely be prudent and entirely understandable given the Covid-19 pandemic to ask for a six-month extension, even if that extension was ultimately found not to be needed?”>>https://news.stv.tv/politics/extend-brexit-talks-or-risk-catastrophic-hit-to- economy https://www.scotsman.com/news/p olitics/extend-brexit-talks-or-risk-catastrophic-hit-economy-ex-tory-mep-warns-2869569 https://www.theneweuropean .co.uk/top-stories/conservative-politician-calls-on-prime-minister-to-extend-brexit-talks-1-6677557

Sir David Liddington

22/04/2020 Former Deputy Prime Minister“The UK should extend the Brexit transition period so the Government can focus all of its efforts on fighting the coronavirus, according to Theresa May’s former deputy.Sir David Lidington said there is not enough “bandwidth” in Whitehall to thrash out a trade deal with Brussels while also dealing with the health emergency.And he said it was “inevitable” that the UK would have to try to shift the 31 December expiry date.”https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus- ex-deputy-pm-david-lidington-calls- for-brexit-transition-period-extension-11976818

Gus O’Donnell 22/04/2020 Former Head of the Home Civil Service <<Bob Kerslake, former head of the home civil service and later Labour Party adviser, agreed—as did Gus O’Donnell, Kerslake’s predecessor, who said “More time could lead to a better outcome for both sides.” “Clearlythere has been much less time for negotiation than could ever have been anticipated.”>>

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/civil-service-whitehall-brexit- transition-extension-covid-19-coronavirus

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Bob Kerslake 22/04/2020 Former Head of the Home Civil Service<<Bob Kerslake, former head of the home civil service and later Labour Party adviser, agreed—as did Gus O’Donnell, Kerslake’s predecessor, who said “More time could lead to a better outcome for both sides.” “Clearlythere has been much less time for negotiation than could ever have been anticipated.”“The timetable for delivering a trade deal was already extremely ambitious. The lost time as a consequence of Covid-19 has moved this from being ambitious to almost impossible,” said Kerslake. >> https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/civil-service-whitehall-brexit-transition-extension-covid-19-c oronavirus

Philip Rycroft 22/04/2020 Former chief civil servant in the Brexit Department 22/04/2020<<According to Philip Rycroft, former chief civil servant in the Brexit department, “it is simple common sense to ask for an extension of the transition period.” When you factor in “the huge economic uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic,” a postponement is essential.>>

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/civil-service-whitehall-brexit-transition-extension-covid-19-coronavirushttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/24/who-and-what-uk-and-eu- resume-interupted-brexit-talks-future- relationaship

Philip Rycroft, former permanent secretary in the Department for Exiting the EU

04/06/2020 Express and Star. <<Not extending Brexit transition period ‘will add to burden on businesses’| Former senior civil servant Philip Rycroft told MSPs that not seeking an extension is a ‘political decision’. The UK Government will be adding to the burden on businesses struggling to cope with the Covid-19 crisis if it does not seek an extension to its Brexit transition period, a former senior civil servant has said.Philip Rycroft, who was the permanent secretary in the Department for Exiting the EU, told a Holyrood committee that not seeking an extension is a “political decision”.The former Whitehall mandarin said he believes it is still possible for the UK and EU to agree a new trade deal before the transition period expires at the end of this year – but added there is a “huge amount of work still to do”.(…)“It would appear to be an odd time, when you have got a choice, to be adding to the burden on businesses.”The new trade border with Europe will come into place “just at a time when businesses are trying to find their feet again after the coronavirus crisis,” he said. Mr Rycroft, who also worked for the Scottish Government during his civil service career, said: “It is a perfectly legitimate political decision to take but of course that political outlook does not necessarily coincide with the

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interests of a lot of UK businesses.>>https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/06/04/not-extending-brexit-transition-period-will-add-to-burden-on-businesses/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/not-extending-brexit-transition-period-will-add-to-burden-on-businesses-39260051.html

Ivan Rogers 22/04/2020 Former Permanent UK Representative in Brussels <<The last former government official I sounded out was Rogers, who famously resigned in protest and is now one of our leading Brexit commentators. He said we should not expect a change in policy, adding that, owing to the unlikelihood of a deal being struck, “HMG is in reality forcing firms which are facing an existential crisis over Covid-19 right now—and for the next several months—to prepare simultaneously for a no-deal exit at year end.”This “carries risks of seriously exacerbating a very difficult economic position at that point, and of disrupting supply chains across the channel at a time they may be critical for the UK.” The most problematic outcome would be impact on medical supplies, especially when essential equipment is reportedly running low and countries around the world are imposing export restrictions.>>

https://www.prospe ctmagazine.co.uk/politics/civil-service-whitehall-brexit-transition-extension-covid-19-coronavirus

Alexander Temerko 01/05/2020 Conservative Party donor<<Boris Johnson's government "lost time" in the first stage of fighting coronavirus and must lift the lockdown next week for many small businesses - including restaurants and construction, a Conservative Party donor has said.The effort to tackle coronavirus is being hampered by a "resistant" civil service who do not want business involved at the heart of the recovery, said Alexander Temerko.The Ukrainian-born British businessman, who has given £1.3m to the Conservatives, said that Mr Johnson should also extend the Brexit transition period for a further year, and rethink the party's immigration policy.>> https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-pm- must-lift- lockdown-and -extend-brexit-transition-says-conservative-party-donor-11981789

Prof. John Bell 16/04/2020 John Bell, Professor of Law at Cambridge University.<<A tale of two crises – Will COVID-19 force the UK Government to extend the transition period? European Law Blog

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"Whilst the EU would welcome an extension, the UK Government remains adamantly against the idea, even making it unlawful. I argue that this is imprudent and reckless. (…) Brexit and COVID-19 is a tale of two crises. Both are pressing, but the latter is undoubtedly the priority. Therefore, it is logical for the UK Government to accept the need to extend the transition period and enable energy to be focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. It is regrettable that the UK Government has stuck to its inflexible mantra on refusing to extend. Although contributions to the EU Budget and continued application of EU law are political hard sells for a government which was elected to ‘Get Brexit Done’, we are not living politics as usual. Now is not the time for short-sightedness or ideological purity, but pragmatism. In the context of COVID-19, I argue that the prohibition in UKlaw on a Minister from agreeing in the Joint Committee to an extension to the transition period breaches the goodfaith provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement as it jeopardises the objective of the Withdrawal Agreement to negotiate a future EU-UK relationship.">>https://europeanlawblog.eu/2020/04/16/a-tale-of-two-crises-will-covid-19- force-the-uk-government-to-extend-the-transition-period/

Dr Philippa Whitford MP / Scottish National Party

31/05/2020 Dr Philippa Whitford MP / Scottish National Party<<The SNP has warned that “time is fast running out” to secure an extension to the Brexit transition period to protect the economy, jobs, businesses, and people’s livelihoods from an “economic body blow” – with reports growing that a top-level summit in mid-June could be planned to address the deadlock in talks.A new report published by the Social Market Foundation today also reveals that Scotland would suffer severe economic disruption if it was dragged out of the EU without a deal at the end of this year – with key sectors facing a double economic hit due to the pandemic, putting thousands of jobs at risk.(...)Commenting, SNP Shadow Brexit spokesperson Dr Philippa Whitford MP said:"Time is now fast running out to agree an extension to the Brexit transition period to protect the economy, businesses and people’s livelihoods from another economic body blow.“We are in the midst of a health pandemic and businesses are already struggling to survive.“They simply do not have the ability to also prepare for a hard or No-Deal Brexit in just a few months’ time."The new impact analysis published by the Social Market Foundation also adds to the evidence of the severe double economic hit facing Scotland's diverse sectors - including manufacturing and finance - as a result of pursuing Brexit and dealing with the coronavirus crisis.“...”“As the final round of talks gets underway - and with reports emerging of a top-level summit to try and break the impasse - it is vital the Prime Minister grabs the lifeline of an extension to the transition period so that efforts canbe fully focussed on tackling the biggest health and economic crisis of our time.">>

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http://www.thehighlandtimes.com/news/2020/05/31/new-report-highlights- severe-imp act-of-no-deal-brexit-on-scotland/

Sadiq Khan, Mayorof London

01/06/2020 Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London: Letter to Michael Gove calling for an extension to the transition period. <<The pro-Remain London Mayor insisted the “last thing” the UK needs is “more chaos and uncertainty” duringthe coronavirus crisis.Mr Khan said: “No one anticipated when voting for Brexit that the key negotiations would take place at a time when all governments are rightly focused on fighting a global pandemic.“The last thing the country needs as it tries to find a way back from the devastation wreaked by coronavirus is more chaos and uncertainty.“I urge the Government to put political ideology aside and pursue the pragmatic route of seeking an extension to the negotiations so that we and out European partners can focus on recovery from Covid-19.”>>Full text of letter.<<Dear Michael,The Covid-19 pandemic poses a grave threat to Londoners' jobs and livelihoods, with the prospect of a global recession now hanging over us.Most Londonders will be deeply disappointed that at a tme of crisis, the Government is putting dogma ahead of the national interest. No one anticipated when voting for Brexit that the key negotiations would take place at a time when all governments are rightly focussed on fighting a global pandemic.The last thing the country needs as it tries to find a way back from the devastation wreaked by Cronavirus is more chaos and uncertainty. I urge the government to put political ideology aside and pursue the pragmatic route of seeking an extension to the negotiations so that we and our European partners can focus on recovery from Covid-19.Covid-19 is the biggest health, social and economic emergency we have faced since the Second World War. Further disruption, in the form of tariffs, red tape and new immigration rules when we leave the single market and customs union at the end of the year, would be needless and hazardous. Close regulatory alignment with the EU has never been more vital to protect our economy and support its recovery from the impacts of Covid-19.The government's negotiations with the EU and other countries are highly unlikely to progress towards meaningful results and agreements while the pandemic continues. An extension to the transition period is now urgently needed to give business and public services some certainty that they won't face the threat of another cliffedge in six months' time. Otherwise the Government risks undermining the unprecedented steps it has taken to protect jobs and livelihoods, by prolonging uncertainty about our economy and the terms on which future trade will be conducted.Yours sincerely,

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Sadiq KhanMayor of London>>https://twitter.com/PickardJE/status/ 1267362471158915072https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1289701/Brexit-news-Sadiq-Khan-extension-letter-Michael-Gov e-EU-December-31-2020 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-sadiq-khan-transition-extension-labour-coronavirus-a9542391.html https://www.ft.co m/content/880ba672-3349-4b16-8bb5-013226379a1a https://www.cityam.com/sadiq-khan-calls-for-extension-to-brexit-transition- period/

Green Party (NI) / Rachel Woods MLA(Green)

02/06/2020 <<GREEN PARTY SECURES SUPPORT FOR BREXIT TRANSITION EXTENSION AMENDMENTGreen Party MLA Rachel Woods has supported an Assembly motion calling for an extension to the Brexit transition period and tabled an amendment stating that we must guard against considering the impact of Brexit in purely economic terms. The Assembly today debated a motion on a proposed extension to the Brexit regulations, along with an amendment from the Green Party NI. Rachel Woods MLA said: “Brexit is coming our way and it has been clear for a long time that it will have a negative impact right across Northern Ireland. “Meanwhile, we’re still attempting to find our find our feet in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and a Westminster government steaming ahead with lockdown restrictions to the alarm of public health experts.“To push on with Brexit in the midst of a pandemic is unwise in the extreme. It’s both clear and unfortunate that this Tory government wants to implement Brexit at any cost. “The Green Party supports the call for an extension to the Brexit transition period. However, we want to guard against framing the impact of Brexit in purely economic terms. “We sought to broaden the focus of the original motion beyond that of business concerns, to acknowledge the impact that EU withdrawal will have on all sections of society, economy and the environment. “Brexit will cut across many aspects of our lives and society. It’s not just the economy that will suffer the negative impacts once the Westminster government defies the will of the majority of people in Northern Ireland and fully exits the EU.”

https://www.greenpartyni.org/blogs/green-party-ni/extend-brexit-transition-period-not-just-for-economic-reasons

Matthew O’Toole 03/06/2020 Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland now united in demanding Brexit extension following Stormont vote

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MLA (DLP) Jack Peat<<Northern Ireland has joined Wales and Scotland in backing an extension to the Brexit transition period.The Assembly passed the motion by 50 voes to 38, with only unionists opposing it.DLP MLA Matthew O’Toole said it was “mad and dangerous” not to extend given the current economic circumstances.“It is especially dangerous because we know how close we came, in recent weeks, to serious disruption to supplychains across these islands.“If we end this year with no trade deal and no extension to the transition, we could face the very real prospect of significant disruption to supply chains, not just between Calais and Dover but between Holyhead and Dublin – a route that is critical to the Northern Ireland market – and at Belfast and Larne.”>>https://www.thelondo neconomic.com/politics/northern-ireland-wales-and- scotland-now-united-in-demanding-brexit -extension-following-stormont-vote/03/06/

Northern Ireland assembly

03/03/2020 <<Northern Ireland assembly passes motion calling for transition period extensionThe motion proposed (by) Matthew O’Toole, the SDLP’s Brexit spokesman, had not been expected to carry after opposition was expressed by the Democratic Unionist and the Ulster Unionist parties.O’Toole, a former Downing Street adviser, said London would have to take the vote seriously as the assembly was “uniquely recognised as a named party in the withdrawal agreement” and Stormont had a substantial role in the implementation of the Ireland and Northern Ireland protocol. He said: “This is not about rerunning the referendum, it’s about accepting that we are in the middle of the most serious public health crisis in living memory. We are also facing a significant economic recession that will put businesses and jobs at risk. This is not the moment to attempt to rupture and renegotiate our largest trading relationship.”(…)O’Toole added that the Stormont vote would “send a powerful message” to Boris Johnson in relation to his implacable opposition to extending the transition period without consent from Northern Ireland.The special protocol on Northern Ireland was agreed in January after a deal struck by the prime minister and his Irish counterpart, Leo Varadkar, to avoid a border on the island of Ireland.It involves checks on trade crossing the Irish Sea which will come into effect as soon as the transition period ends, whether there is a trade deal or not. Under the withdrawal agreement, these checks would hold for at least six years.Businesses have said there is simply not enough time to put IT systems for new customs arrangements, VAT and regulatory checks in place.>> (BBC)https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-northe rn-ireland-assembly-extension-leave-eu-uk-

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transition-period-a9545606.html https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/02/stormont-backs-calling-for- extension-to-brexit-transition-period-border-checks-covid-19-coronavirus https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-52906604 https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/stormont-backs-calling-for-extension-to-brexit-transition-period/ https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/northern-ireland-wales-and-scotland-now-united-in-demanding-b rexit-extension-following-stormont- vote/03/06/shttps://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/stormont-b acks-calling-for-extension-to-brexit-transition-period https://www.irishpost.com/news/northern-ireland-assembly-votes-to-delay-brexit-further-186 164

Scottish GovernmentCOVID-19: the casefor extending the Brexit transition period

03/06/2020 Scottish Government<<COVID-19: the case for extending the Brexit transition periodThis paper sets out why it is vital, if we are to ensure the most rapid recovery possible from the COVID-19 crisis,that the UK Government immediately seeks an extension to the Brexit transition period (scheduled to finish on 31 December 2020) for two years. (…)

The arguments in favour of an extension are that: • It would allow the economy more time to recover from COVID-19 before experiencing the additional negative impact of ending the Brexit transition; • The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented government, business and citizens from preparing adequately for what will be the most significant change to our external trade policy for half a century; and • Proper democratic and technical scrutiny and implementation of the UK’s putative new relationship with the EU is simply not possible in the few months remaining before December this year – the end of the current transition period.Ending the transition period at the end of 2020, even with the type of basic deal the UK government is pursuing, or worse still without a deal with the EU at all, will represent a significant additional downside risk to the trajectory of the economic recovery. Immediate and short-run effects will include:• Introduction of non-tariff barriers to trade with the EU (and tariff barriers in a no deal outcome); • Increased disruption to supply chains already experiencing challenges due to COVID-19; and • Heightened uncertainty in some markets.The combined impact of these effects on businesses that are already severely affected by COVID-19 could result in widespread business closures and job losses over and above those resulting from COVID-19 alone.New economic modelling shows the impact of ending the transition period at end-2020 or, with the full two-year extension provided for by the Withdrawal Agreement, at end-2022. We also model the impact of two outcomes to

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the current EU-UK negotiations, either a basic Free Trade Agreement in line with the UK government’s unambitious aspirations, or no deal. The lack of progress in the negotiations so far and the impact of COVID-19 on the negotiating process make no deal a real possibility. These Brexit scenarios are overlaid on two illustrative paths for the recovery of the economy from COVID-19.(…)Opinion polls suggest that a clear majority of the UK population would favour an extension as a result of COVID-19. Time is running out. After June 30 there will be no reliable way of extending the transition period. As a responsible administration which, notwithstanding our fundamental opposition to Brexit, is working to protect Scotland’s interests in the Brexit process, we call upon the UK Government to act now to secure an extension to the end of 2022. >>https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-19-case-extending-brexit-transi tion-period/ https://www.thenational.scot/news/18492435.uk-government-refusal-extend- brexit-will-cost-scotland-billions/

Scottish GovernmentCOVID-19: The Case for Extending the Brexit Transition Period June 2020 (61pp)In this document, we have set out how the COVID-19 crisis has radically altered the priorities for governments’ actions, across the world. When an event as important as the COP 26 climate conference later this year has had tobe cancelled – an event on which literally the future of mankind and our planet depends – it is simply not credible to treat Brexit as an exception and plough on regardless. (...)Time is running out. As the Scottish Government our responsibility, indeed our duty, is to protect Scotland’s interests in the Brexit process. We are fully aware of the extent to which the UK government has staked reputational capital on exiting the 45 transition period at the end of 2020, but there are far more important things at stake than that. This is the time for the UK government to live up to its responsibilities and do the right thing, by securing an extension to the end of 2022. We call upon it to do so. >>

https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documen ts/govscot/publications/research-and-analysis/2020/06/covid-19-case-extending-brexit-transition-period/documents/covid-19-case-extending-brexit-transition-period/covid-19-case-extending-brexit-transition-period/govscot%3Adocument/covid-19-case-extending-br exit-transition-period.pdf

Maree Todd MSP 03/06/2020 Highland MSP calls for Brexit extension to protect jobs<< MSP Maree Todd has called on the UK government to extend the Brexit transition period in light of

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coronavirus – with new analysis showing billions of pounds could be wiped from the Scottish economy. (… )Ms Todd said: “Coronavirus is causing enormous economic disruption and people across the Highlands & Islands expect government to be focused on protecting public health and the Scottish economy.“It would be an act of extraordinary recklessness for the UK government to allow us to crash out of the transitionperiod at the end of this year.“The SNP believe the best future for Scotland is as an independent member of the EU.“But regardless of your opinion on Brexit or independence, it makes no sense to crash out of the European single market at precisely the moment we need stability.“Businesses in the Highlands & Islands are focused on securing their future – they simply don’t have the capacityto prepare for Brexit on top of a pandemic.“The UK government must do the sensible thing, protect jobs in the Highlands & Islands and extend the transition period.”>>https://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk/news/highlanders-call-to-suspend-brexit-201698/ https://www.orcadian.co.uk/maree-todd-msp-calls-for-brexit-extension-to-safeguard-scots-economy/

Richard Lochhead MSP (SNP)

03/06/2020 <<Extend Brexit transition to protect Moray jobs – LochheadMORAY's MSP has called on the UK Government to extend the Brexit transition period in light of coronavirus.“As a Scottish Government study shows that billions could be wiped from the Scottish economy, SNP MSP Richard Lochhead says the UK Government must do the "sensible" thing to extend the transition as Moray businesses can't be expected to properly prepare for Brexit amid a pandemic.”>>

https://www.northe rn-scot.co.uk/news/extend-brexit-transition-to-protect-moray-jobs-lochhead-201762/ https://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk/news/highlanders-call-to-suspend-bre xit- 201698/

Dr Robert Innes, Bishop for Europe

01/02/2020 Church Times <<UK leaves, but love and warmth remain, says Bishop in Europe<<It is time to move on from “division and discord”, the Bishop in Europe, Dr Robert Innes has said, marking the UK’s departure from the European Union on Friday night.Dr Innes said: “The challenges ahead of us in Europe following Brexit are huge and unprecedented; and they go to the heart of how we sustain enduring future relationships rooted in the peace, prosperity, and friendship with all nations that are our Christian calling.”(….)Dr Innes earlier called on the Government not to rule out an extension of that transition period (News, 3 January)>>https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/7-february/news/uk/uk-leaves-but-love-a nd-warmth-remain-says-

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Stefano Fella 02/06/20 <<House of Commons Library. UK-EU future relationship negotiating timetable: extending the transition.This briefing sets out the timetable for the UK-EU future relationship negotiations. It provides an overview of thedebate on whether the post-Brexit transition period should be extended, and explains the process for extending this period.>>

https://commonslibra ry.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8929/http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8929/CBP-8929.pdf

Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons

03/06/2020 Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons<<In a report published today, Wednesday 3 June 2020, the Commons Public Accounts Committee says it is concerned that the Cabinet Office will not have the capability to successfully deliver campaign messages on preparations for the end of the Brexit transition period at the same time as delivering the major public health campaign on Covid-19, with it “likely that the Covid-19 campaign will crowd out the Brexit transition campaign.”

Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Committee, said:“The Government is taking the UK through not one but two incredible, unprecedented political and economic upheavals simultaneously, but it is business, the public and the public purse that will suffer if it gets it wrong. “The Government has shown it could not fully successfully deliver one such campaign, before the pandemic disaster hit - in that case with a lot of money spent on the overarching message but less success on the detail which changes behaviour. With the nation’s fortunes, livelihoods and even lives at stake, the Government must quickly give us confidence that it has learned the lessons and understands the scale of the task of running two campaigns like this, each much more complex and longer term than either the coronavirus “stay at home” or the original Brexit date messages.”>>https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5801/cmselect/cmpubacc/131/13103.htm http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/29672

Chris Hazzard MP (Sinn Féin)

11/06/2020 <<Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard has reiterated the party’s call for an extension of the Brexit transition period following a warning from the CBI that businesses will not cope with a no-deal Brexit. Speaking the party’s Brexit spokesperson said: “This morning we heard the very real concerns of the head of CBI Carolyn Fairbairn on the threat posed by Brexit to businesses in Britain and the North. “CBI has warned the British Government that businesses simply ‘cannot cope with no deal and virus’.

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“Our economy is under enormous pressure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; it is clear then that this pandemic coupled with a no deal Brexit would cause a severe economic shock to businesses and our local economy. “It is also concerning that the EU has been critical of progress made in Brexit negotiations, describing the lack of progress as 'disappointing'. “As the Brexit deadline approaches, it is vital that the British Government does not continue to act in bad faith, and urgently moves to deliver upon the legal commitments contained in the Withdrawal Agreement and the Irish Protocol. “Our local business community have also been scathing of the lack of engagement and technical detail being supplied to them from the British Government - it is imperative that the British Government work quickly to supply this information and establish education and training resources for local businesses in order to help them meet the demands of trading in the post-Brexit world. “The Brexit deadline should now be extended to avoid a potential crash out, no deal Brexit at the end of the year, which would devastate our economy already weakened by the current pandemic.">>https://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/57089

Pete Wishart MP (SNP), Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office

10/06/2020 <<UK Government Must Extend Brexit Transition Period or Face Economic DisasterThe SNP has said Scotland and the UK will face “economic disaster” between the risk of a no-deal or hard Brexit and the impact of the coronavirus crisis if the UK government fails to extend the Brexit transition period.(...)Barrie Deas, the Chief Executive of the National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations, said “July looks like a goner for a deal” as the June deadline for a transition extension request approaches.(...)The SNP Scottish Government has said that ending the Brexit transition this year could remove £3 billion from the Scottish economy in just two years on top of the impact of coronavirus.Commenting, SNP Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, Pete Wishart MP (...)said:“If the UK government do not take the common-sense approach and request an extension for the Brexit transitionperiod then between the risk of a no-deal or hard Brexit and the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, Scotland and the UK will face economic disaster.“The coronavirus crisis has already put businesses under unprecedented financial pressure and crashing out of theEU at the end of this year – with a bad deal or No-Deal - would deliver a devastating economic blow from which many businesses would struggle to recover."Scotland's food and drink, manufacturing, fisheries and agriculture sectors would be particularly badly hit by

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such an outcome.“An extension is available and Boris Johnson must take it before he inflicts a disastrous hard or no deal Brexit onScotland in less than seven months’ time.”>>http://www.thehighlandtimes.com/news/2020/06/10/uk-government-must-extend-brexit-transition-period-or-face-economic-disaster/

Alistair CarmichaelMP (Liberal Democrats)

11/06/2020 Liberal Democrats <<Our Bill to Extend the Brexit Transition Period By Alistair Carmichael MP We cannot afford to risk a No Deal Brexit. Our Bill would extend the transition period - protecting lives and livelihoods across Britain.This week we should have had the second reading of the Liberal Democrats’ Bill to guarantee an extension to theBrexit transition period.Instead the government have ensured that this bill will not progress until after the extension deadlineThe British people deserve better than needlessly risking No Deal/With just over two weeks to go until the deadline for extending the transition period, the timings were already incredibly tight. Those who voted Leave and Remain alike have called for the transition period to be extended. It makes no sense to anyone for us to crash out of the EU without a deal in place, especially as we deal with the terrible human cost and economic toll of COVID-19.The stakes couldn't be higher.Just this week, the pharmaceutical industry warned that some stockpiles of medical supplies have been "used up entirely" by the virus. Building these stockpiles back up without a deal with the E.U., and as our healthcare sector faces the winter flu season, will be incredibly difficult.At the same time, coronavirus is wreaking terrible damage to our economy.The economic damage caused by this disease will hit those on lower incomes the hardest. As millions of people across the country have felt anxiety caused by being furloughed, losing business, or being made redundant, the last thing they need is a government willing to risk a chaotic No Deal crash out of the E.U.>>https://www.libdems.org.uk/ext end-brexit-transition

Professor CatherineBarnard and Professor Alison Young

20/04/2020 <<Delivering an extension of the transition period. and Professor Alison YoungIf the government were to decide an extension of the transition period is necessary, what would need to be done to deliver it under UK law? Would another Act of Parliament be required? Not necessarily. >>https://ukandeu.ac.uk/delivering-an-extension-of-the-transition-period/

Claire Hanna MP 10/06/2020 <<Northern Ireland firms moving jobs to Republic due to Brexit, MP told

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(SDLP, South Belfast)

South Belfast SDLP MP Claire Hanna drew Ms Mordaunt's attention to last week's Assembly vote calling for an extension to the Brexit transition period.She said: "The Government insisted that the Northern Ireland Assembly should have the final say on the protocol."The Assembly finally gave a say on Brexit when it voted last week to request an extension to the transitionperiod to allow businesses, which are currently in the fight of their lives due to Covid, to adapt and to havethe certainty that the minister refers to."If the Northern Ireland Assembly's consent is so vital, should the Government not listen to what it says?">>https://www.belfastteleg raph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-firms-moving-jobs-to-republic-due-to-brexit-mp-told-39273838.html

Michel Barnier, European Union

10/06/2020 EU 'willing to listen' to case for Scottish Brexit extension by Kathleen NuttTHE European Commission’s chief trade negotiator has signalled he is “willing to listen” to any request for a Scotland-only extension to the current transition period.Michel Barnier’s intervention comes after former First Minister Henry McLeish urged Nicola Sturgeon to seek an extension if the UK Government continues to insist it will not do so.He agreed with the assessment that a No-deal Brexit would hamper the country’s recovery from the pandemic and that such a move would be highly damaging.A Scottish-wide extension move would allow the country to remain in the single market and customs union once the current transition period ends on December 31 this year – and if the rest of the UK moves to trade on WTO rules.Asked if the EU would consider a request for a Scotland-only extension to the implementation period, Barnier’s spokesman told The National the Commission was “willing to listen” but that negotiations had to respect the UK constitutional arrangements (under which the member state is the UK).“The European Commission is willing to listen to a variety of institutional players and stakeholders.“But negotiations will only take place with the UK Government, in full respect of the internal constitutional arrangements of the UK,” he said. >>https://www.thenational.scot/news/18506776.eu-willing-listen-scotlands-re quest-brexit-extension/

Alistair CarmichaelMP (Liberal Democrat)

10/06/2020 <<Bradford Liberal DemocratsResponding to reports the UK Government will tell the EU on Friday it is not going to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period, Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: "Food shortages, medicine shortages, and an unprecedented hit to jobs and livelihoods: that is what the UK is facing if we crash out of the EU without a deal."Boris Johnson's ideological stubbornness will see the most vulnerable in our country hit hardest.

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"With the country is already struggling as a result of Covid-19, it beggars belief that the Government are happy to pile Brexit on top of this already devastating situation."Liberal Democrats will continue to urge the Government to think again and extend the transition period.">>https://www.bradfordlibdems.org.uk/g ovt_wrong_to_deny_brexit_extension

Michel Barnier, European Union

10/06/2020 <<Extend Brexit transition period to save stalling trade talks, EU urges Boris JohnsonChief negotiator Michel Barnier says EU wants extensionThe EU's chief negotiator has called for an extension to the Brexit transition period in a bid to save stallingtrade talks and prevent a no-deal.Michel Barnier told a committee in Brussels that the European Commission supported an extension beyond the end of the year to give negotiators more time, The EU has previously said it is open to an extension but has shied away from actively calling for one. But as thedeadline to extend looms at the end of this month, Mr Barnier's position has shifted.with scant progress so far.The EU has previously said it is open to an extension but has shied away from actively calling for one. But as thedeadline to extend looms at the end of this month, Mr Barnier's position has shifted."We are in favour of an extension, particularly given the current circumstances," Mr Barnier told a meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee.>>https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ brexit-extension-trade-talks-eu-boris-johnson-a9559156.html

Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish first minister and Mark Drakeford, Welsh first minister

12/06/2020 <<Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford write to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request an extension to the Brexit transition period which is due to end on 31 December >>https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1271386195633807361?s=2<<”But leaders of two of the UK’s devolved administrations on Friday called on Mr Johnson to reverse course. Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland, and Mark Drakeford, her counterpart in Wales, said the lack of time left before the UK left the EU risked a “damaging ‘bare bones’ trade deal or even worse, a disastrous no-deal outcome”. “While we hope that the second half of this year will see the beginnings of a recovery, we believethat exiting the transition period at the end of the year would be extraordinarily reckless,” they added. “It would pile a further very significant economic and social shock on top of the Covid-19 crisis, hitting businesses whose reserves, in many cases, have already been exhausted.” >>https://www.ft.com/content/f92e799d-7bac-4432-bb3f-9b21a6b0af85 https://www.itv.com/news/ 2020-06-12/first-ministers-demand-brexit-extension-in-light-of-coronavirus-crisis/ http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/article.cfm?id=133238&headline=First%20Minister%20calls%20for%20extension%20to%20Brexit%20transition%20period&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2020

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Margaret Ferrier MP (SNP)

19/04/2020 House of Commons. Margaret Ferrier Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Manufacturing)<<The International Monetary Fund and business leaders want the Government to reduce economic uncertainty amid the coronavirus pandemic. Recent polling found that two thirds of the public want an extension to the transition period. I know that the Minister is not always fond of expert opinion, but will he heed their warnings and buy business precious time to adapt to the economic headwinds that Brexit will bring?>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-05-19a.510.1

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

04/05/2020 House of Commons. Layla Moran Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Education)<<A YouGov poll released this weekend showed that half the population now think that the transition period should be extended, versus 35% who think the Government should press ahead. The public know that kicking theeconomy when it is down, especially with a no-deal Brexit on top of a covid crash, is in no one’s best interests. The right hon. Gentleman said just now that there was a deal, but he knows full well that that is the withdrawal agreement and not the future deal that will determine the trade relationship. No deal is still on the table, so will the Government consider asking for even a short extension to avoid a no-deal Brexit, or are they intent on puttingideology before pragmatism?>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-05-04a.416.7

Stewart Hosie MP (SNP)

13/05/2020 House of Commons. Stewart Hosie Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Trade)<<Both Covid and Brexit are suppressing trade and damaging jobs and the economy and while we hope that, as Covid ends, global trade will bounce back, there is no guarantee that that will happen quickly. The Prime Minister could mitigate some of this damage by seeking an extension to the Brexit transitional period. Will he explain to the House why he is being so negligent in not seeking that transitional extension now?>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/?p=11973

Gavin Newlands MP (SNP)

04/06/2020 House of Commons. Gavin Newlands Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Transport)<<Does the Secretary of State agree with the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, who warns that the tourism industry, which is already deprived of vital foreign workers due to visa restrictions and which supports more than 200,000 jobs and contributes over £7 billion to the Scottish economy, now faces the double whammy of a no-deal Brexit combined with the ongoing impact of covid-19? Does this not justify a further extension of the job retention scheme to support the sector, and an extension of the transition period to avoid a deeply damaging no-deal scenario, compounding the horrendous coronavirus circumstances?>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-06-04b.989.1&s=Brexit+transition+extension#g990.3

Michael Russell MSP (Scottish

03/06/2020 Scottish Parliament Michael Russell Scottish National Party<<Today, I will update Parliament on the Scottish Government’s view of the current negotiations on that future relationship. We believe that it is not and will not be possible to conduct and conclude those negotiations and

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National Party) implement the results within the truncated timescale that has been set for them and in the context of an unprecedented global pandemic and a catastrophic economic recession, which might turn out to be the worst in 300 years.Therefore, in our view, it is essential that the UK indicates that it will seek to extend the transition period for up to two years, as provided for in the withdrawal agreement. To refuse to seek that extension—which the EU has indicated would be readily granted—is a reckless act that will destroy thousands of jobs, undermine an already fragile economy and devastate communities across Scotland when we are most vulnerable. After the end of this month, it will not be possible to extend under the terms of the withdrawal agreement, and no other plausible routeto an extension has been put forward. The deadline at the end of June is therefore real.>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/sp/?id=2020-06-03.24.0&s=Brexit+transition+extension#g24.2

Stewart Hosie MP (SNP)

13/05/2020 House of Commons. Stewart Hosie Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Trade)<<Both covid and Brexit are suppressing trade and damaging jobs and the economy and while we hope that, as covid ends, global trade will bounce back, there is no guarantee that that will happen quickly. The Prime Ministercould mitigate some of this damage by seeking an extension to the Brexit transitional period. Will he explain to the House why he is being so negligent in not seeking that transitional extension now?>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-05-13b.246.6

Gavin Newlands MP (SNP)

04/06/2020 House of Commons. Gavin Newlands Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Transport)Does the Secretary of State agree with the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, who warnsthat the tourism industry, which is already deprived of vital foreign workers due to visa restrictions and which supports more than 200,000 jobs and contributes over £7 billion to the Scottish economy, now faces the double whammy of a no-deal Brexit combined with the ongoing impact of covid-19? Does this not justify a further extension of the job retention scheme to support the sector, and an extension of the transition period to avoid a deeply damaging no-deal scenario, compounding the horrendous coronavirus circumstances?https://www.theyworkforyou.co m/debates/?id=2020-06-04b.989.1&s=Brexit+transition+extension#g990.3

Lord Fox (Liberal Democrat)

04/04/2020 House of Lords: Lord Fox, Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) 3:12 pm, 4th June 2020I am not calling to cancel Brexit—we have left the EU—but for any Government to allow the full effects of a no-deal Brexit on top of the economic shock of Covid is careless with people’s lives and prospects. As the noble Lord, Lord Low, and my noble friend Lord Shipley highlighted, there needs to be an extension to the transition period of two years to allow the Covid-19 pandemic to be managed strategically and carefully. Does the Minister agree that it is far more sensible to give ourselves time to get the best possible trading arrangements with the EU

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and other third countries before we shut the door on our favourable deal with the rest of Europe? https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2020-06-0 4b.1459.0&s=Brexit+transition+extension#g1491.0

Baroness Kramer (Liberal Democrat)

11/06/2020 House of Lords: Baroness Kramer Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy) 1:07 pm, 11th June 2020<<Lastly, in dealing with Brexit we must not take a “charge of the Light Brigade” approach. A senseless order must be countermanded and an effective negotiating strategy put in place to conclude transition, even if it means an extension.>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2020-06-11a.1851.2&s=Brexit+transiti on+extension#g1856.1

Rushanara Ali MP (Labour, Bethnal Green and Bow)

04/06/2020 House of Commons. Rushanara Ali MP (Labour, Bethnal Green and Bow) 4 June, 2020<<"The deal we strike must protect our citizens’ wellbeing and security. That is the first duty of any Government.Ministers have insisted on sticking to the timetable drawn up before the extraordinary challenges posed by the pandemic. It is striking that recently two thirds of the British people said they agreed with the statement that the Government should request an extension to the transition period in order to focus properly on corona- virus and dealing with its consequences. Ministers’ timetables take no account of the disruption to the negotiations because of covid, nor the dramatic effect on our economy. I do not need to emphasise the Bank of England’s prediction that we face the worst economic slump for more than 300 years, with unemployment set to double this year and youth unemployment set to reach 1 million".>>https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2020-06-04b.1093.0

David Lammy MP (Labour, Tottenham), Wes Streeting MP (Labour), Stephen Farry MP (Alliance,North Down)

18/03/2020 <<Brexit DELAY: Labour MP pushes for extension due to coronavirus chaos by Ciaran McGrath Labour MP Wes Streeting has joined party colleague David Lammy in linking the ongoing coronavirus crisis to demands for the Government to shelve Brexit talks and extend the transition period beyond the end of the year.Mr Streeting tweeted a Government statement confirming the delay of the latest round of talks, which also reaffirmed the commitment of "both sides" to the negotiation process. He commented: "This is not a sustainable position." He subsequently responded to a post by HMRC which referred to the reintroduction of border controls in January 2021, posting: "The idea that businesses should be contending with this in the current crisis exposes the utter stupidity of pretending that the transition period won’t need to be extended.”Labour MP for Tottenham David Lammy made similar remarks to Mr Streeting earlier this month, tweeting: "The government can't negotiate the future of Britain's trade with the EU in a few months during what could well become a global coronavirus pandemic.“Boris Johnson needs to swallow his pride and put the national interest first.”During a sparsely attended PMQs today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was pushed about whether a one-year extension could be sought for the UK's Brexit implementation process in the light of the ongoing crisis.

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DUP MP Stephen Farry (North Down) said: "Defeating the coronavirus must be the top, indeed the only priority, for the forseeable future."There's already huge anxiety across the UK, businesses are facing unprecedented challenge and uncertainty. So regardless of Leave or Remain, how quickly will the Prime Minister recognise the inevitable and seek at least a one-year extension to the Brexit implementation process?”https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1256948/brexit-news-coronavirus-uk-labour-wes-streeting-david-lammy-transition-delay-eu-rees-mogg Plus added material (italics)

Jeremy Miles MS, Welsh Government

12/06/2020 Key recent developments in Wales and Scotland, reported by Wales for Europe:<< Here is the statement from Jeremy Miles MS, Counsel General and Minister for European Transition, standout quote: ‘Voluntarily putting our country through this at a time when we should be focusing on how we recover from the enormous economic shock caused by the Covid crisis is reckless and unnecessary.’ https://gov.wales/written-statement-eu-transition-period-extension

This followed the decision by Miles and his Scottish counterparts not to attend a scheduled conference call of theJoint Ministerial Committee on European Negotiations, stating ‘We cannot accept a way of working in which the views of the devolved governments are simply dismissed before we have had a chance to discuss them.'https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53019046

That followed Gove's announcement, just hours after Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon repeated their calls tothe PM to request and extension, stating that ‘exiting the transition period at the end of the year would be extraordinarily reckless’. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-wales-scotland-first-ministers-18408707

Ian Murray MP (Labour)

15/04/2020 15 April, 2020, London GlossyShadow Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray, has called for an “immediate” extension to the Brexit transition period due to the coronavirus outbreak.In a letter to Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, Mr Murray said “this is not a time for constitutional politics”, addingthe British Government focus should be on tackling Covid-19.Mr Murray wrote: “I note that Scottish Conservative and Unionist leader Jackson Carlaw MSP has called for a ‘pragmatic response’.“The pragmatic response for the UK Government is to urgently apply for an extension to the transition period.“This is not a time for constitutional politics and business do not need any more uncertainty.”

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“The entire focus of all Governments in the UK must be on working together to tackle the coronavirus outbreak and then dealing with its aftermath to ensure our economy recovers.“I therefore hope you will support your party leader in Holyrood, and business leaders across the UK, and address this issue with your Cabinet colleagues at the earliest possible opportunity.”>>https://www.pressreader.com/uk/evening-times/20200416/281702616846339https://londongloss y.com/brexit-transition-period-must-be-extended-immediately-says-uk-labour-mp/

Jo Stevens MP (Labour)

31/03/2020 << Two-thirds of people in the UK want the government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period inorder to focus on the coronavirus outbreak, according to a new opinion poll.In Wales, 58 per cent said they wanted the government to request an extension. [...]Welsh Labour MP Jo Stevens said:“Setting the UK up for a second economic shock would be deeply irresponsible at a time when the world is struggling to contain the coronavirus.“The UK government must focus on the job at hand. Until further notice, that job is dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, not Brexit.”https://www.westwaleschronicle.co.uk/blog/2020/03/31/poll-wales-wants-brexit-transition-extension/

Layla Moran MP (Lib Dems), Clive Lewis MP (Labour),Caroline Lucas MP(Green party), Tommy Sheppard MP (SNP), and Liz Saville Roberts MP (Plaid Cymru)

15/06/2020 Opposition parties push for new vote to extend Brexit transition period by Adrian Zorzut<<Westminster opposition parties are pushing ahead with plans to force a vote on extending the Brexit transition period.Opposition MPs have written to Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg requesting a vote on new legislation that would extend the transition period.Labour, the Liberals Democrats, the SNP and other parties submitted a draft bill to repeal that the current section of the EU Withdrawal Bill that prevents ministers from requesting an extension by the end of June.In the letter, Layla Moran (Lib Dems), Clive Lewis (Labour), Caroline Lucas (Green party), Tommy Sheppard (SNP), and Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru) said evading calls to extend the Brexit transition period would be tantamount to “turning a deaf ear to the public” at a time of “national crisis”.They argued that a lot has changed since the first Brexit vote in January and that the coronavirus and a tidal-wavechange in opinion in favour of an extension warranted a new vote on the matter.“The UK has experienced the devastating impact of coronavirus, causing over 41,000 deaths, a record fall in GDP and unprecedented restrictions to our daily lives,” they wrote.“None of us could have predicted then the scale of the damage to the country that would be caused by this pandemic.“In light of this dramatic change in circumstances, it is only right that parliament should be given the chance to make its voice heard again on this critical issue. Failure to do so would be to turn a deaf ear to the

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public at a time of national crisis.”Commenting on the issue, Lib Dems leadership hopeful Layla Moran warned that it was not “too late” for an extension.She said: “A no deal Brexit at the end of this year would strike a devastating blow to people’s livelihoods, businesses and the NHS just as we begin to turn the corner from the coronavirus.“It’s not too late to stop this monumental act of national self-harm in its tracks and agree to an extension.“MPs have not been consulted on Brexit since before the pandemic hit in January. Given the scale of the damage done by coronavirus and the significant public support for an extension, parliament must now be given a say.”>>https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/opposition-parties-push-to-extend-brexit-transition-period-1-6700 896

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

11/06/2020 Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has reacted to Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer’s refusal to answer whetherLabour would back an extension to prevent No Deal on LBC radio.In reaction to Sir Keir Starmer’s refusal to answer whether Labour would back an extension to prevent No Deal on LBC, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West & Abingdon, Layla Moran said: “It’s time for the Leader of the Opposition to get off the fence. Not extending the transition period drastically increases the chances of a No Deal Brexit, which threatens people’s livelihoods and health.

“Keir Starmer may well prefer the Tories to plough ahead and suffer the fall out of a No Deal, but in doing so, he is putting politics before people. I’m calling on Keir to join forces with the rest of the opposition who are calling for an extension, to help us make the case to protect people from harm.

“The UK is on the brink of an economic crisis that will be devastating for families up and down the country. We need to extend the transition and make sure we have the time and space to negotiate properly.”>>http://www.laylamoran.c om/starmer_must_get_off_the_fence_on_transition_extension_and_put_people_before_politics

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

04/05/2020 Liberal Democrats in Europe Layla Moran Calls for Extension to Transition Period<<Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, asked the government for a short extension to avoid a no-deal Brexit in ParliamentThe Liberal Democrats believe that the combined impact of Covid-19 and the prospect of the UK crashing out of the single market without a trade deal with the European Union will be disastrous to the British economy.

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There will be massive additional costs with the introduction of trade barriers from January 2021 and the effect of Covid-19 makes the effects unpredictable. Michale Gove's answer was just to point score.>>https://twitter.com/i/status/1257346992780578819https://www.libdemsineurope.org/layla_moran_calls_for_extension_to_transition_period

Guardian - Patrick Butler and Dan Peters

21/05/2020 <<No-deal Brexit 'would overwhelm local emergency teams' by Patrick Butler and Dan Peters Leaked report warns local disaster planning already exhausted by coronavirus crisisPreparing for the impact of a no-deal Brexit later this year would overwhelm local emergency response teams exhausted by the Covid-19 pandemic, a leaked Whitehall report has warned.A review by a committee set up to review the response to coronavirus said failing to seek an extension to Brexitnegotiations threatened to “compound Covid-19 with a second UK societal-wide, economic and social, chronic threat”.The government made it clear that it will not seek an extension to the Brexit transition period on 31 December – but the leaked report, published by the Municipal Journal, said this threatened to “overwhelm” local disaster planning capacity. [….]The 76-page report marked “official/sensitive” was drawn up by the C-19 Foresight group, a cross-government team which supports local resilience forums in England and Wales. The 42 regional LRFs are tasked with planning and responding to major incidents and catastrophic events. [….]“The review expanded on concerns over the government’s controlling approach and failure to communicate vital Covid-19 information and intelligence to local response teams, which first emerged in a shorter version of the report highlighted by the Guardian last week. ”>>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/21/no-deal-brexit-would-overwhelm-local-emergency-teams

Geraint Davies, MP(Labour, Swansea West)

16/06/2020 <<Labour MP attacks Gove’s “no extension” to transition extensionA Labour MP has accused the government of gambling with Britain’s future by refusing to seek an extension to the transition period after Brexit. Geraint Davies, MP for Swansea West, told an on-line rally by the European Movement that Boris Johnson’s policy is reckless, choosing a direction that can only damage Britain’s trade…>> [audio]https://www.eureporter.co/podcast/labour-mp-attacks-goves-no-extension-to-transition-extension/

Lord Heseltine 16/06/2020 <<It’s too late to go on arguing to remain in the EU – remainers lost the battle, Lord Heseltine told an on-line rally organised by the European Movement. But that doesn’t mean the transition period should not be extended to help protect UK businesses, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. The former Deputy Prime Minister said it’s irresponsible to make a bad situation worse… >> [audio]https://www.eureporter.co/podcast/lord-heseltine-says-uk-government-must-extend-brexit-transition-

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Nicola Mallon MSP (SDLP)

02/06/2020 <<Nichola Mallon disappointed at executive not requesting Brexit extensionA STORMONT minister has expressed disappointment that the executive has not yet agreed to urge the British government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period.However, SDLP deputy leader and infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon said there was a "glimmer of hope" as ministers agreed to consider it again in a fortnight."Brexit is hurtling down the tracks and to date there has been no clarity from the British government for businesses and communities," she said."As Northern Ireland is uniquely positioned and our island has very real and unique challenges from Brexit, we must have time to prepare and protect our economy and our citizens."I am disappointed that not all executive ministers supported me today in my proposal for an extension, however we reached an agreement that we will look again at my proposal in a fortnight's time, ahead of the deadline."I will continue to press executive colleagues to recognise the practical challenges facing our communities."We have a duty and obligation to send a clear message to the British government that more time is needed.">>http://www.irishnews.com/news/n orthernirelandnews/2020/06/02/news/nichola-mallon-disappointed-at-executive-not-requesting-brexit-extension-1959994/

Chris Hazzard MP, (Sinn Fein)

16/06/2020 <<“Extend Brexit transition period to protect economy” – HazzardSinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard has reiterated the party’s call for an extension of the Brexit transition period following a warning from the CBI that businesses will not cope with a no-deal Brexit. Speaking to Newry Times, the party’s Brexit spokesperson said, “We heard the very real concerns of the head of CBI, Carolyn Fairbairn on the threat posed by Brexit to businesses in Britain and the North. CBI has warned the British Government that businesses simply ‘cannot cope with no deal and virus’.“Our economy is under enormous pressure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; it is clear then that this pandemic coupled with a no-deal Brexit would cause a severe economic shock to businesses and our local economy.“It is also concerning that the EU has been critical of progress made in Brexit negotiations, describing the lack ofprogress as ‘disappointing’.“As the Brexit deadline approaches, it is vital that the British Government does not continue to act in bad faith, and urgently moves to deliver upon the legal commitments contained in the Withdrawal Agreement and the Irish Protocol,” he continued.“Our local business community have also been scathing of the lack of engagement and technical detail being supplied to them from the British Government.“It is imperative that the British Government work quickly to supply this information and establish education and

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training resources for local businesses in order to help them meet the demands of trading in the post-Brexit world.“The Brexit deadline should now be extended to avoid a potential crash out, no-deal Brexit at the end of the year,which would devastate our economy already weakened by the current pandemic,” the local MP added.>>http:/ /newrytimes.com/2020/06/16/extend-brexit-transition-period-to-protect-economy-hazzard/

Caroline Brown, Brighton & Hove Lib Dems; Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrat)

12/06/2020 <<Government wrong to deny Brexit extensionResponding to reports the UK Government will tell the EU on Friday it is not going to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period, Brighton & Hove Lib Dems member Caroline Brown, who last month joined with Grassroots for Europe to write to Hilary Benn as chair of the Brexit Committee in the wake of Michael Gove's appearance before them, said:"We are careering towards a No Deal end to the transition period on 31st December, while struggling with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and a possible second wave of infections."Oral evidence given by Michael Gove and David Frost to select committees on 27th & 28th May revealed that it will be impossible for the UK and EU to wrap up complex and difficult negotiations by September, when 27 countries must review and ratify the proposed deal."With businesses struggling to cope amid the coronavirus pandemic, the last thing they need is to be forcedto adapt to a sudden and costly change in rules under which they can operate. Many will simply be unable to cope."Sir Ed Davey has tabled a motion, calling for a 2-year extension, which Labour is refusing to support."https://liberalbrighton.org/en/article/2020/1364050/governme nt-wrong-to-deny-brexit-extension >>

Scottish Government, Constitution Secretary Michael Russell

19/06/2020 <<Parliament asked to back European Union Continuity BillPowers to ‘keep pace’ with EU law in devolved policy areas.New powers and measures to align devolved Scots law with those in the European Union after the end of the Brexit transition period have been published.The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Bill will allow or provide for continuity of provision that would otherwise be lost on withdrawal from the EU.The Bill focuses on three headline areas:Part one, provides for a discretionary power which will enable Scottish Ministers to align devolved Scots

law with EU legislation following the end of the transition periodIn Part two, provisions are made regarding domestic replacement arrangements for EU environmental principles

and governance. This will ensure that there continues to be guiding principles on the environment in Scotland following the end of the transition period

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A new governance body, Environmental Standards Scotland, will be established to replace the system of environmental governance provided by the institutions of the European Union which will be lost at the end of the transition

Constitution Secretary Michael Russell said:“The overwhelming majority of people in Scotland have consistently said they want to be in the EU and, despite Brexit, we are doing everything we can to stay close to our European partners.“It is completely unacceptable that Scotland has been taken out of the EU but this Bill will enable us, in devolvedareas at least, to ‘keep pace’ with Europe, when appropriate and practicable to do so.“It is required as a direct result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and is more urgent because of the UK Government’s reckless refusal to ask for an extension to the Brexit transition period.>>https://www.gov.scot/news/parliament-asked-to-back-european-union-continuity-bill/

Ed Davey MP, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader

12/06/2020 <<ED DAVEY: Government putting ideology over national interest by delaying Brexit extension billThe government has delayed a Lib Dem bill to secure an extension to the Brexit transition period. Acting leader ED DAVEY says it is still putting ideology over the national interest at a time of crisis.“Today should have been the second reading of the Liberal Democrats’ Bill to guarantee an extension to the Brexit transition period. With just a week to go until the meeting between Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and Boris Johnson, and just over two weeks to go until the deadline for extending the transition period, the timings were already incredibly tight.Now, the government have ensured this Bill and others like it will not progress until July. By which time it will be too late. The government’s stubborn refusal to accept an extension to the transition period is inexcusable.I don’t know why I’m surprised. They have taken this ideological, dangerous approach the whole way through the last four years. Yet at a time when businesses across the UK are already collapsing, people are losing their jobs, and the medicine stockpiles are already run dry, I really did expect better.Those who voted Leave and Remain alike have called for the transition period to be extended. It makes no sense to anyone for us to crash out of the EU without a deal in place, but it is particularly illogical at a time when we are still struggling with a global pandemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and caused the biggest economic hit for generations.Surely any government of any political leaning would put the national interest first at this time of crisis. The warnings from business and medical organisations have been stark. Just this week, the UK was warned by the pharmaceutical industry that some stockpiles of medical supplies have been “used up entirely” by the virus. It is clear that these stockpiles cannot be built back up quickly: not if the UK fails to secure a deal with theEU and not as we head into what is already going to be a difficult time of year for the healthcare sector. The government seem to be in denial about the reality of the situation. As things stand, at the time the transition

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period ends the NHS will also be battling with the usual winter flu crisis, on top of Covid-19.This would be concerning enough if it looked like a deal was in place. But given the results of the latest round of negotiations, the prospect of a no-deal is looming large. As Barnier said following what was the fourth round in these latest talks, there has been no significant progress on key areas of Brexit and the situation cannot go on indefinitely.>>https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/ed-davey-on-brexit-transition-period-extension-1-6697419

Lord Ricketts (chair), Lord Rowlands, Lord Anderson, House ofLords EU security and justice sub-committee

<<Failure of Brexit talks could lead to terrorism intelligence delays, say LordsReal-time access to EU police databases has not yet been agreed in the negotiations by Lisa O'CarrollThe UK risks losing its real-time access to a watchlist of suspected terrorists if it does not strike a comprehensiveBrexit deal on justice and security, peers have been told.The concerns of the policing consequences of a collapse in Brexit talks were raised by members of the Lords EU security and justice sub-committee during questioning of the Home Office minister James Brokenshire. Fears were also raised over the future of the European arrest warrant (EAW) system and the prospect of the UK becoming a haven for foreign criminals trying to evade justice from EU member states.The Labour peer Lord Rowlands described the situation prior to the EAW system as “hopeless” as it allowed fugitives to roam freely in countries without extradition treaties. […]His concerns came as an ally of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, the MEP Nathalie Loiseau, warned that a crash out from the EU without a deal would mean weaker ties on security. [...]Lord Anderson pointed out police in Dover could currently use handheld devices to get real-time information onpassengers from the Schengen Information System (SIS II) database allowing suspects to be “questioned before they could simply melt away”. “It rather sounds as though the legalistic approach that’s being taken to SIS II [in Brexit talks] means that we’re not going to have real-time access to data,” said Anderson, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation in the UK between 2011 and 2017. [...]Lord Ricketts, a former diplomat and the chair of the committee, questioned the “coherence” of the UK’s Brexit approach. It was looking for a Canada-style agreement in trade but a specially close arrangement in security and justice, “an equivalent position to that which perhaps Schengen countries have, or EEA countries have like Norway, Iceland but no other country”, he said. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/16/failure-of-brexit-talks-could-lead-to-terrorism-intelligence-delays-say-lords>>

Nichola Mallon MLA (SDLP)

15/06/2020 SDLP proposes extension of Brexit transition period at Executive by Nichola Mallon MLA<<SDLP Deputy Leader Nichola Mallon proposed again that the Executive should write to the British Government seeking an extension to the Brexit Transition Period today.

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The Infrastructure Minister said that time is running out and that we can no longer afford to adopt a ‘wait and see’ attitude to negotiations.The DUP used a cross community vote to block the proposal despite it having the support of the Assembly and many other parties.Nichola Mallon said:“I again proposed at the Executive today that we should write to the British Government seeking an extensionto the Brexit transition period. People, businesses and communities across Northern Ireland need certainty, we cannot afford to adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach to the negotiations.“The Assembly as a named party to the withdrawal agreement consented to an SDLP motion calling for anextension to the transition period. After all the talk about democratic legitimacy, the will of people here is being frustrated again. “This issue will not go away. I have no faith that this British Government is capable of managing the response to a global health crisis while renegotiating our future trading relationship with Europe in the time left. An extension to the transition period is an economic, moral and democratic imperative.“The DUP have put their narrow pro-Brexit agenda over the needs of communities and businesses struggling to recover from Covid19. For weeks upon weeks the DUP’s rhetoric has been that they are standing up for business yet when it comes to Brexit they are ignoring their wishes and instead of supporting them to gain more planning time, they are aiding and abetting Boris Johnston and his Tory cronies in Number 10 to impose economic chaos on our community. >>“It is incredible that they used the cross community vote to block my proposal that would show not only our business community but the British Government that we want to stand up for ourselves and the people we represent. Those who continue to veto the voices of the majority need to take a long hard look at themselves - because history will not be forgiving.”>>https://www.sdlp.ie/news/2020/sdlp-proposes-extensi on-of-brexit-transition-period-at-executive/ https://www.facebook.com/SocialDemocraticLabourParty/posts/3691109444238800

Michelle O’Neill (Sinn Féin)

12/06/2020 << Careless and shameful of British Government not to seek Brexit extension – O’NeillSinn Féin Leas Uachtarán (and Joint Head of Government) Michelle O’Neill said today it is completely careless and shameful that the British government has not sought an extension to the Brexit transition from the EU and has shown a complete disregard for the economy in the north.Michelle O’Neill was speaking after she participated in meeting of the British Government-EU Joint Committee today on the implementation of the Irish Protocol, alongside Arlene Foster as Joint Heads of Government, EU Chief negotiator Michel Barnier, European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič and British Minister

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Michael Gove MP.>>https://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/57097 <<County Down is a border County with the Republic of Ireland and the tourism and business interface with its neighbour is important. And Newry City too right on the border, will be looking at an uncertain future if a bad Brexit unfolds.Sinn Féin Leas Uachtarán Michelle O’Neill said: “It is completely careless and shameful that the British government has not sought an extension to the Brexit transition from the EU and has shown a complete disregard for the economy in the North.”>>(14/06/2020)https://downnews.co.uk/oneill-angered-as-uk-government-ignores-brexit-extension/

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

23/06/2020 <<Health minister Matt Hancock has been urged to sign the UK up to an EU initiative which would fast-track a possible coronavirus vaccine.The European Union has launched a new scheme to work with six possible coronavirus manufacturers, allowing member states to pool resource and work together to buy sufficient supplies, should a solution become available. The EU proposes using a “large majority” of a €2.7bn emergency fund for the effort but is also committed to ensuring fair access worldwide to pandemic remedies.Britain has the option to take part in the scheme, but an EU spokesperson suggested it had not opted-in.It does, however, have the option to join the scheme up until the end of the Brexit transition period, which is due to come to an end on 31 December 2020.It follows claims it was a “political” decision not to join similar schemes to jointly procure potentially life-saving medical equipment such as ventilators and personal protective equipment. Now Lib Dem leadership hopeful Layla Moran has written to the health minister calling on the government to take part in the EU vaccine scheme and extend the transition period, to ensure the country can continue to benefitif a vaccine is developed next year.“The government must put lives before ideology and join EU efforts to secure access to a coronavirus vaccine,” Moran said.“Working together with our neighbours will increase the chances of developing an effective vaccine and deploying it around Europe and the world as soon as possible.“Opportunities have already been missed to take part in vital EU schemes that could have helped the NHS combat this pandemic by securing life-saving equipment. We must ensure those mistakes aren’t made again.”She added: “This should go hand in hand with an extension to the transition period, to ensure the UK can continue to benefit from this EU-wide scheme if a vaccine is developed next year.”

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Moran is standing in the contest for Liberal Democrat leader against Wera Hobhouse and interim leader Ed Davey.>>https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/matt-hancock-urged-to-sign-uk-to-eu-covid-vaccine-scheme-1-6712625

Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP)

23/06/2020 <<The SNP has urged Labour to stop "dodging its responsibilities" and join opposition parties in calling for an urgent U-turn to extend the Brexit transition period.

As the Tory government's Brexit talks continue to stall, Dr Philippa Whitford MP said the likelihood of a devastating bad deal or no-deal Brexit was increasing by the day - and Labour would not be forgiven if it choosesto "sit back and watch" while people's jobs and livelihoods are on the line.The SNP's Brexit spokesperson said Keir Starmer was failing to show leadership on the issue by pursuing a "continuity Corbyn" fence-sitting approach to the Brexit talks - and was ignoring the views of his party members in Scotland, Wales and the Shadow Cabinet.

On Friday, a report on Labour's election defeat warned "Labour cannot ignore the issue of Europe".>> http://www.thehighlandtimes.com/news/2020/06/23/labour-dodging-responsibilities-on-brexit-talks/

Sadiq Khan, Mayorof London

23/06/2020 <<Four years ago, the UK voted to leave the EU. Four years on, we still have no sign of a deal. The PM needs to put politics aside and extend the Brexit transition period so that our businesses and public services aren’t forced to face yet another cliff edge. >>https://twitter.com/MayorofLondon/status/1275368421228765186?s=20

Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

22/06/2020 European Union Withdrawal Agreement Extension Bill prented in the House of Commons. Date of second reading : July 10th.https://twitter.com/LaylaMoran/status/1275097456087269377?s=20

Liberal Democrats, European Movement

22/06/2020 <<Boris Johnson told to come clean on food and medicine shortage risks from no-deal BrexitDemands for prime minister to reveal if dangers listed in ‘no-deal readiness report’ last autumn are still real- and have grown because of pandemic.[…] Now the Liberal Democrats and the pro-EU European Movement are demanding the prime minister reveal which risks remain – and whether the coronavirus pandemic has inflated them further.“As the prime minister continues to oppose extending the transition period, he must at least be honest about what this means for our country,” said Ed Davey,the acting Lib Dem leader.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-brexit-trade-talks-no-deal-food-medicine-shortage-a9578991.html

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Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat)

19/06/2020 <<Layla Moran MP (Liberal Democrat): It’s not too late to stop a no-deal Brexit - public health depends on it.Over the last two years, precious time and resources have been diverted from preparing for a pandemic to planning for no-deal. Even in February of this year, when Covid-19 was rapidly beginning to spread around the world, ministers appeared far more concerned with Brexit than this deadly disease. The government cannot afford to make the same mistake again when people’s lives and livelihoods are on the line. The response to the coronavirus must come first. That means putting people before politics and extending the transition period. Pharmaceutical companies have warned the UK could face shortages of vital medicines if talks with the EU fail, as global supplies remain so low it would be difficult to replenish our stockpiles in time. The business community has also made it clear that many firms simply won’t survive if they have to cope with no-deal on top of the damage done by the coronavirus. To any competent and compassionate government, these stark warnings would set alarm bells ringing.Yet even the threat of medicine shortages has not been enough to make the government change course. Instead, Boris Johnson has stubbornly refused the EU’s offer of an extension and is insisting on crashing Britain out at theend of this year come what may. This would be a monumental act of national self-harm. People and businesses have suffered enough this year. The last thing we need is the chaos of a no-deal Brexit this winter, particularly with the threat of a second wave of coronavirus.Fortunately, it is not too late to stop it. I am working closely with like-minded MPs across parliament to force the government to stop putting ideology ahead of the national interest and extend the transition period. MPs have not been consulted on Brexit since before the pandemic hit in January. Given the scale of the damage done by coronavirus and the significant public support for an extension, parliament must now be givena say.>>https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/dangers-of-a-no-deal-brexit-1-6706546

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2. Business, Industry, Science and Civil Society

CAOBISCO 21/05/2020 “CAOBISCO, the Association of the Chocolate, Biscuits & Confectionery Industries of Europe, has called on the EU and UK authorities to extend free trade agreement (FTA) talks fearing a balanced trade agreementcould be jeopardised because of the COVID-19 crisis.”

h ttps://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2020/05/21/CAOBISCO-calls-on- EU-and-UK-to-extend-FTA-talks<<May 22,2020 - CAOBISCO Statement on EU-UK FTA NegotiationsCAOBISCO is highly concerned that considering the current advancement of the negotiations and the COVI-19 crisis, a thought through, balanced trade agreement could be jeopardised. Thus, we call on the EU and UK authorities to extend the transition agreement as long as it is necessary.The social and economic impact the COVID-19 crisis has on the chocolate, biscuits and confectionery sectors will have to be measured but the cost will be high. In this context, it makes sense to provide our industries with elements of certainty in a volatile time and thus, extend the transition period.A no-deal BREXIT or a bad deal as of 2021 would be hugely detrimental to our industry, and the whole food supply chain with a significant decrease in EU exports and revenue coupled with more important job losses.We are hopeful that in order to preserve business activities between the EU and the UK, a balanced and ambitious trade agreement with appropriate product-specific rules of origin, will be implemented as of day ONE of the end of the transition period.>>22/05/2020http://caobisco.eu/caobisco-chocolate-biscuits-confectionery-europe-news-141-CAOBISCO-Statement-on-EU-UK-FTA-Negotiations.html#.Xs98g0RKjIU

Helen Brocklebank,Walpole

02/04/2020 Chief Executive Officer of Walpole.https://www.thewalpole.co.uk/news/brexit-time-act-now/ “Everyone is hoping for an extension,” said Helen Brocklebank, chief executive officer of Walpole, which represents the U.K.’s luxury sector. “Brexit is very much taking a back seat at the moment as companies fight to survive.” https://business.financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/wheres-brexit-canceled-whitehall-meetings-say-delay-inevitable

Peter Hardwick, British Meat

02/04/2020 “Brexit planning has fallen off a cliff,” said Peter Hardwick, a trade policy adviser at the British Meat Processors Association. “All operational staff at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have

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Processors Association

been diverted to Covid-19 work.” https://business.financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/wheres-brexit-cancel ed- whitehall-meetings-say-delay-inevitable

Deborah Annetts, the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM)

13/05/2020 NEW ISM REPORT: The music sector will not survive COVID-19 and Brexit without an extension to the transition period.https://www.ism.org/images/files/ISM_Fifth-Brexit- Report_May-2020_A4_Online.pdf

Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians said:‘The UK music sector, which contributes £5.2bn to the economy each year, is facing ruin from the dual threats ofCOVID-19 and Brexit. For many years, the ISM has been highlighting how essential it is for professional musicians to work easily across the EU. In this time of great uncertainty, musicians need to know that their livelihoods will be protected.Going straight from COVID-19 to the end of the transition period without ensuring enough time to negotiate newtrading agreements will be devastating for the music profession and the wider music and creative industries.Therefore, to avoid irreversible damage, we call for the Government to recover some of the time lost to COVID-19 by requesting an extension to the transition period.’ Based on the findings of this report, the ISM calls for:

1.The Government to negotiate an extension of the transition period for two years beyond 31 December 2020. (….)

https://www.ism.org/news/new-ism-report-brexit-transition-period -extension https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/incorporated-society-of-musicians-report-on-brexit-and-coronavirus-1-665 0746

Bob Sanguinetti, U.K. Chamber of Shipping

02/04/2020 One of the biggest issues in Brexit planning is a lack of time and information to build new infrastructure at ports to handle border checks on U.K.-EU trade, plus prepare complex new IT systems, said, chief executive officer of the U.K. Chamber of Shipping.“Those were huge projects for U.K. government before the coronavirus pandemic,” Sanguinetti said. “Day by day, its increasingly difficult to see how the original time-lines can be achieved.”

https://business.financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/wheres-brexit- canceled-whitehall-meetings-say-delay-inevitable

Richard Burnett / Road Haulage

24/03/2020 <<Give hauliers a Brexit break says RHARHA chief executive Richard Burnett has written to the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP to call for an extension to

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Association (RHA) the UK’s transition period for leaving the EU.Commenting, he said: “As things stand right now, the Coronavirus outbreak means that we are simply not in a position to give the complexity of future trade arrangements with the EU the necessary focus.“We have always maintained a neutral stance as regards our relationship with the EU and this request is not trying to prolong the government’s plans – which we fully endorse.”The UK’s road transport industry must be completely focused on supporting the unprecedented demand that has been placed on the supply chain and ensuring that the flow of critical goods – food and medical supplies – are maintained throughout this crisis.”Concluding, Richard Burnett said: “Preparing for our exit on 1st January 2021 was always going to be a challenge for government, operators and stakeholders. The current climate makes the ability to negotiate, agree and manage new trading arrangements impossible”.>>https://www.rha.uk.n et/news/press-releases/2020-03-march/give-hauliers-a- brexit-break-says-rha

Elizabeth de Jong, Freight Transport Association

(25/03/2020)

Elizabeth de Jong, Policy Director, Freight Transport Association. “Logistics needs transition extension to counter COVID-19 challenge, says FTA”.“Our industry needs the support of government, not to be broken by it.” https://fta.co.uk/media/press-releases/2020/march/logistics-needs-transition-extension-to-counter-cohttps://www.cityam.com/logistics-industry-calls-on-government-to-extend-brexit-transition-period-to-ease-pressure-on-sector/ https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-hauliers-demand-uk- boris-johnson-extends-brexit-transition-period-2020-3?r=US&IR=T

Pauline Bastidon, Freight Transport Association

02/04/2020 “There’s absolutely no bandwidth for anything other than Covid-19,” Pauline Bastidon, Head of European policy at the Freight Transport Association, who said her meetings to discuss issues including a shortage of customs agents were postponed. “There’s no time, energy, money or interest at the moment to focus on Brexit.” https://business.fin ancialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/wheres-brexit-canceled-whitehall-meetings-say-delay-inevitable

Rod McKenzie, Road Haulage Association.

11/05/2014/05/2020

Managing Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Road Haulage Association. “'If the recession is going to be shortened and lessened, supply chains will be crucial. If the link breaks because of coronavirus and Brexit, that’ll be a cocktail of disaster beyond belief,” Rod said.The RHA is calling for an extension to the transition period to allow hauliers to prepare for new trading arrangements between the UK and the EU, and for the UK government to secure a trade to ensure fluid trade.'”

https://news.rha.uk.net/2020/05/14/rha-calls-for-fluid-trade-agreement- to-avoid-disaster/content.html

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“The transition period simply must be extended.”https://news.rha.uk.net/2020/05/11/give-hauliers-clarity-on-new-trade-agreements/content.html20<<Hauliers: Transition period “must be extended”>>https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/hauliers-transition-period-must-be-extended/

Robert Keen, British International Freight Association (BIFA)

(April 2020)

Robert Keen, Director General of the British International Freight Association (BIFA).<<The director general of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) says that it in light of the massive disruption to supply chains being caused by the coronavirus crisis, it would be irresponsible of the UK government to try to abide by the timetable for ending its Brexit transition period.Robert Keen, Director General of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) says that with negotiations between the EU and UK now stalled, he believes that if the UK does not seek to extend the transition period, it will not have the time to negotiate a deal that covers anything more than the bare minimum oftrade arrangements.“Now in these very difficult times, it is important that the government listens to the freight transport sector, puts politics to one side and seeks an extension to the transition period.” (March 2020)https://www.bifa.org/news/articles/2020/mar/refusing-to-ask-for-an-extension-of-brexit-transition-amid-coronavirus-crisis-would-be-irresponsible-say- freight-forwarding-chief https://www.aircargonews.net/trending/brexit/bifa-urges-brexit-transition- extension-amid-covid-19-disruption/ “In light of the huge issues involved with a sharp change in trading conditions at the start of 2021, particularly if that were to coincide with another Covid-19 outbreak, we think an extension looks increasingly likely.” “We believe that refusing to even consider extending the transition period is very risky and together with a growing chorus of Brexit commentators, think an extension to the transition period remains likely, and it is reallyonly a question of ‘when'. ”>>

https:// www.bifa.org/news/articles/2020/apr/freight-association-believes- extension-of-brexit-transition-period-still-s eems-likely

British International Freight Association (BIFA)

26/05/2020 << Following a survey of its members, the British International Freight Association (BIFA) reports that the majority of respondents believe that an extension to the transition period is desirable, if no trade deal is agreed byDecember 31st 2020 and UK trade with the EU is conducted on WTO terms.The trade association that represents companies that are on the front line in the management of the UK’s visible imports and exports conducted the survey in response to the UK government’s insistence that it will not ask to extend the transition period.BIFA Director General, Robert Keen comments: “This is not a political comment from our members. They are a pragmatic group. They understand that the UK has left the EU.

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“It is a clear message to Government that BIFA members and the clients that they serve have great reservations over whether they will have the capacity to handle the major changes to the UK’s trading relationship at the start of 2021, such as new customs documentation and procedures.”(…)In a recent letter to the parliamentary committee responsible for the UK’s future relationship with the EU, BIFA raised ongoing concerns over potentially misleading and ambiguous comments from politicians and government regarding Customs matters. >>https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/freight-forwarders-call-for-extension-to-bre xit-transition-period/ https://www.bifa.org/news/articles/2020/may/freight-forwarders-call-for- extension-to-brexit-transition-period https://theload star.com/bifa-calls-for-extension-to-brexit-deadline-forwarders- wont-be-ready/

Alex Veitch, FreightTrade Association. Liam Smyth, British Chambers of Commerce

17/04/2020 Firms 'won't be ready for EU customs exit'By Sebastien Ash<<Downing Street has said that any extension would keep the UK bound by EU rules when it instead "needs flexibility" to deal with coronavirus.But Alex Veitch, head of international policy at the Alex Veitch, said planning for an exit from EU rules at the same time as navigating the coronavirus crisis was "not possible".The kinds of jobs being furloughed "are those which are crucial to managing Brexit," he added."It is the same people wrestling with the international freight challenge who would be the ones planning the Brexit challenge."Asking for an extension was a "reasonable" demand, he added, and his organisation would not have done so "before the coronavirus crisis hit".Liam Smyth, director of international trade at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "Whilst traders arefocussed on survival and working out how to deal with the impact of coronavirus, the problem of making 250 million more customs declarations at the end of the transition period has not gone away."Big challenges need big solutions. Cargo will grind to a halt if goods can't be cleared by our customs system."The funding the government has announced so far isn't enough."If the government is serious they should invest more to employ and train the huge number of people needed to keep the UK trading beyond transition.">>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52287926

European Automotive Manufacturers

08/04/2020 “‘With this interdependence in mind, it is essential that tariff-free trade and an open flow of goods and services are a cornerstone of the ongoing negotiations between the EU and the UK,’ stated ACEA’s director general, Eric-Mark Huitema. ‘Any future trade agreement must, therefore, combine zero tariffs, workable rules of

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Association (ACEA)

origin, simplified customs requirements and ensure the absence of technical barriers to trade...The clock is ticking for these complex negotiations, and we are very concerned that the time remaining under the transitional arrangement is insufficient, especially given the ongoing COVID-19 crisis,’ warned Huitema. The unintended consequence of this could be a no-deal scenario. In terms of tariffs alone, this would have a massive impact, with some €6 billion being added to the cost of doing cross-channel trade.‘Such an outcome would be catastrophic to the automotive sector, and the European economy in general, and should be avoided at all reasonable cost.’“Brexit negotiations have been impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and the UK’s negotiator David Frost have both been in self-isolation after testing positive for thevirus. At the same time, there are questions about how far talks can progress at present...Therefore, it may be necessary to delay talks, and extend the deadline beyond 31 December. The UK Government originally intended to have a deal in place by June, stating it would walk away if nothing had been agreed - a move that is now almost certainly untenable. With resources focused on navigating through the COVID-19 crisis, Brexit is almost forgotten about, and without an extension, the UK risks crashing out of the EUwithout a deal at the end of the transition period.”https://autovistagroup.com/news-and-insights/acea-calls-brexit-deal-take-account-special-au tomotive-industry

CLEPA – EuropeanAssociation of Automotive Suppliers

27/02/2020 CLEPA Position Paper on EU-UK FTA: For an integrated and competitive European automotive industry“If necessary, an extension of the transition period should be considered to avoid a cliff edge scenario or the completion of an FTA too limited in scope.CLEPA understands that the UK’s departure from the EU is the outcome of a democratic process and automotive suppliers respect this. At the same time, the international competitiveness of the automotive sector – a shared European and British industrial asset – should not be sacrificed in an attempt to deliver political objectives in an extraordinarily short timeframe in the form of an FTA too limited in scope. A failure in the negotiations to address the economic needs of the automotive sector would negatively impact many regions across the UK and EU. The jobs, livelihoods and communities of hundreds of thousands of people are at stake.” https://clepa.eu/mediaroom/clepa-position-paper-on-eu-uk-fta-for-an-integrated-and-competitive-european-automotive-industry/

British Irish Chamber of Commerce

20/05/2020 <<Chamber warns window to agree extension to transition period is rapidly closing“Paul Lynam, Director of Policy, British Irish Chamber of Commerce, said: “The new tariff regime unveiled by the UK Government today provides a stark reminder of the trade barriers potentially facing Irish and EU businesses from January 1st. Ireland’s agri-food sector is most at risk with new tariffs on products such as lamb, beef and poultry likely to undermine the viability of many food producers across the country. Combined with the existential threat posed by the COVID-19 crisis, businesses face a perfect storm.

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(...)“We would urge both UK and EU negotiators not to get side-tracked and to instead make every effort to agree a mutually beneficial extension of the transition period. Businesses in the agri-food sector and beyond want to see a strong EU-UK trade partnership put in place. If a comprehensive free trade agreement cannot be negotiated, firms will need extended time to implement Brexit contingency plans and supports to avoid significant job losses on both Islands”>> https://www.britishirishchambe r.com/2020/05/20/new-uk-global-tariff- provides-stark-reminder-of-future-trade-barriers-facing-irish-business/ <<The British Irish Chamber of Commerce has today called on the UK Government to begin preparations to formally seek an extension to the Brexit transition period in advance of the EU-UK Summit in June. >>14/05/2020https://www.britishirishchamber.com/2020/05/14/british-irish-chamber-calls-for-extension-of-brexit-transition-period/

Customs Support Group

24/04/20 <<With all eyes on the coronavirus, you would almost forget the United Kingdom is leaving the European Customs Union at the end of this year. The British Chamber of Commerce now says that they fear that many UK businesses will not be ready in time.When the United Kingdom leaves the EU Customs Union there will be a lot of new processes in place at the borders between the European Union and the United Kingdom. There are new procedures, there are new documents that need to be filled out. The British Chamber of Commerce has said that they believe the UK government hasn’t invested enough in training for companies on these new documents and procedures.(...)The call for an extension of the transition period has been heard from representatives of the EU, but also from within the UK. According to a recent poll, two-thirds of the British public is in favour of extending the transition period. The same goes for various trade groups, and essentially the British Chamber of Commerce is now sayingthe same.>>

https://www.customssupport.com/will-british-companies-be-ready-for-brexit-we-sure-are/

Chemical Business Association (CBA)

28/05/2020 <<CBA urges UK to consider Brexit transition period extension option.The UK should take the "pragmatic approach" of keeping open the option to extend the Brexit transition period, the Chemical Business Association (CBA) has said.In a 4 May letter to the business minister and parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Nadhim Zahawi MP, the CBA said the final decision to extend should be dependent "on both Covid-19 decompression and the progress made on an UK/EU free trade agreement".

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The CBA’s letter, signed by chief executive Peter Newport, was made public on 28 May, ahead of round four of trade talks from 1–4 June. It names unresolved Brexit trading and regulatory issues, the Covid-19 pandemic and the possibility of an imminent recession as the main issues the UK’s chemical supply chain is facing."Together, they provide a perfect storm for the UK economy. The CBA believes their potential cumulative impactshould guide the UK government’s industrial strategy."(....) Rejecting an extension to the transition period "out of hand" increases the risk of a no-deal exit from the EU, it added. "Politics appears to have trumped pragmatism unless a deal can be secured within the astonishingly short time remaining." >>https://chemicalwatch.com/121010/cba-urges-uk-to-consider-brexit-transition- period-extension-option

Institute of Export & International Trade

28/05/2020 <<Brexit transition extension: the two camps on either side of the argument – and in between(…...)For an extension: opposition political parties and logistics trade bodies including BIFA, the FTA and the RHAWho: Opposition parties are urging the government to seek an extension to the transition period, while its steadfast refusal to do so is reportedly a source of tension among civil servants within the UK’s negotiating team.From the international trade camp, the freight forwarding sector led by its trade association BIFA, the Freight Transport Association and Road Haulage Association have been the most direct in calling for a delay to the transition’s end.The arguments: These boil down to the distraction of managing COVID-19 and a lack of time to secure trade deals, organise logistical changes and ensure effective legislation is in place.Politicians in opposition parties, to whom Michel Barnier’s letter was addressed this week, cite the “catastrophic economic impact” of COVID-19 as reason enough to delay full Brexit.The RHA echoes this argument, its chief executive Richard Burnett saying COVID-19 means hauliers, while supporting Brexit, “are simply not in a position to give the complexity of future trade arrangements with the EU the necessary focus”.BIFA has said it has “great reservations” on whether the logistics industry can be ready in time for 31 December, calling no extension “risky and unwise”.>>https://www.export.org.uk/news/509862/Brexit-transition-extension-the-two-camps-on-either-side-o f-the-argument--and-in-between.htm

The Professional Clothing Industry Association

01/06/2020 The Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide/ Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.<< UK Government has repeatedly insisted it will not ask for an extension to the transition period – and will decline any such request from the EU.

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Worldwide/ Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce want the Government to re-think its position.Chief executive Paul Faulkner says the business community needs time to recover from the coronavirus pandemic before facing more disruption to trading conditions.He said: “While coronavirus has understandably dominated the headlines and business planning in recent months, Brexit is not over yet.“June is a critical month for Brexit negotiations. By the end of it, we should know how likely a deal (or not) is looking.(….)“We also know that many of the businesses hardest hit by this, such as those in the retail and automotive sectors are also the most exposed to Brexit risk due to the nature of their international supply chains and EU citizens in their workforces.“We urge the Government to change their narrow thinking position on refusing an extension to negotiations.“British business has just faced its greatest crisis since the Second World War. If a comprehensive deal cannot be agreed, the business community needs time to rebuild resilience before it faces the biggest change to the UK’s political and trading relationships for a generation too.”ttps://pciaw.org/ industry-news/brexit-government-must-alter-narrow-thinking-on-transition-period/ https://www.greaterbirm inghamchambers.com/latest-news/news/2020/6/1/brexit-government-must-alter-narrow-thinking-on-transition-p eriod/

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn director general, CBI

02/06/2020 Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the Confederation of British Industry <<Business cannot prepare for a no-deal Brexit in the middle of a pandemicMany firms are clinging on during the coronavirus crisis and have no capacity to to contemplate failure in talks with EUFor many firms fighting to keep their heads above water through the crisis, the idea of preparing for a chaotic change in EU trading relations in seven months is beyond them. They are not remotely prepared. Faced with the desperate challenges of the pandemic, their resilience and ability to cope is almost zero.With 40 percent of the economy closed, 8 million people in furlough and not working, the U.K. is already in recession. Stockpiles that were built up in preparation for a no-deal outcome in March, October and December last year have been used to plug supply shortages created by the pandemic, while half of all manufacturers are having difficulty reconnecting their supply chains.

Many businesses, especially smaller ones, have burned through cash reserves they would have otherwise used forrainy days. One logistics firm would need to hire 300 new border officials starting in June to prepare for a no-

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trade deal Brexit, and are asking whether they should do this — and how this can possibly be a sensible use of their stretched resources.(...)Before COVID-19, the U.K. led the world in professional services trade, with the country’s auditors, accountants and architects landing business across the globe. But services trade has collapsed, with company surveys showing the greatest fall in all measures since records began.Perhaps by the end of the year these companies will be climbing back onto their feet. However, an abrupt introduction of restrictions on trade and movement with the EU at that point would be a hammer blow.(…) The desire for no further delay is understandable. After all, the U.K. made its choice in the Brexit referendumnearly four years ago now, and it is not clear extending the transition period would necessarily bring a better deal in the future.But while it may be tempting for some to down tools and accept that WTO terms are the best either side can hope for, there are many livelihoods and businesses at stake. The current air of resignation surrounding the Brexit talks must be shaken off. This is why a new dynamic and determination on both sides is so essential.In recent months, political leaders across Europe have shown that what previously may have been thought of as impossible is not. A good deal with the EU will be just one strand of the U.K.'s national recovery from the pandemic, but it will be one of the most important for the future of our economy, jobs and livelihoods.>>https://www.politico.eu/article/business-cannot-prepare-for-a-no-deal-brexit-in- the-middle-of-a-pandemic/ https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/business-cannot-prepare-for-no-deal-brexit -during-coronavirus/

Warwick Smith, director-general of the British Generic Manufacturers Association / Lib Dem MP Layla Moran

04/06/202003/06/2020

The New European<<No-deal Brexit could limit our access to medicine during a second wave of coronavirus. Jonathon Read

A no-deal Brexit could jeopardise the UK’s access to medicine just as a second wave of coronavirus could hit.(...)Warwick Smith, director-general of the British Generic Manufacturers Association, said: “We must act quickly in the UK to ensure that we are not left behind.”Voices from the industry have previously stressed that a no-deal Brexit could lead to delays on imports of medicines due to possible customs delays.The government has already faced criticism for struggling to secure essential personal protective equipment and ventilators quickly enough at the start of the coronavirus.Lib Dem MP Layla Moran said it was another reason why the government must put forward for an extension to

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the transition period.She said: “A no-deal Brexit could limit our access to medicine during a second wave of coronavirus.“The government needs to stop putting ideology ahead of public health and extend the transition period. They cannot risk a dangerous no-deal Brexit just as we recover from the worst pandemic in living memory.“People and businesses have suffered enough this year, the last thing we need is a shortage of medical supplies this winter.“The government must also start being transparent and regularly publish figures on national stockpiles of vital drugs and medicines. The public can’t be kept in the dark about how prepared we are.”https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/uk-could-struggle-to-get-medicine-for-coronavirus-after-brexit-1-6684477 See also:Financial Times. Peter Foster and Sarah Neville<<UK drugs stockpile eroded by coronavirus ahead of BrexitStruggle to rebuild 6 weeks’ medical stores exacerbated by pandemic’s disruption to global production and fears of a ‘no-deal’ EU exitThe UK government is struggling to rebuild stockpiles of drugs eroded by Covid-19 amid fears that a “no-deal” Brexit will jeopardise medicine supplies just as a second coronavirus wave hits the country. >>https://www.ft.com/content/4611bf7d-c749-4cfd-bf7c -7a5e2967f9f7

FTA (Freight Transport Association ) British Retail Consortium and Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association

04/06/2020 <<Transport Body Backs Stormont Call For Brexit Extension by Richard Buckley, Editor, Business Eye

FTA, the business group speaking for the UK logistics sector, is backing Stormont’s call for additional timeto be added to the Brexit transition period as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate the industry’s resources, and government engagement on the Northern Ireland Protocol stalls. Following his participation at the House of Lords Select Committee yesterday (3 June 2020), Seamus Leheny, Policy Manager for Northern Ireland at FTA, comments: “With less than seven months until the end of the Brexit transition period, FTA and its members in Northern Ireland are deeply concerned by the lack of government engagement on the Protocol.Alongside the British Retail Consortium and Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association, with whom we jointly gave evidence to the Committee yesterday, FTA is urging the government to engage with business organisations urgently so logistics businesses and operators can prepare for the successful implementation of the UK’s departure from the EU, which observes the rules of the NI Protocol. (….)“With the COVID-19 pandemic monopolising the industry’s attention, FTA is backing Stormont’s calls for an

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extension to the Brexit transition period, to allow an implementation period in which all necessary preparations for EU departure can be made. Businesses need clarity on the new trading agreement so they can prepare effectively for the massive changes that will undoubtably come.”(….)Seamus Leheny reiterated these concerns at a media briefing hosted by the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium today (4 June 2020).

FTA is one of the UK’s leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With COVID-19, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. FTA supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such asretailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods.>>http://www.businesseye.co.uk/transport-body-backs-stormont-call-brexit- ext ension/https://www.handyshippingguide.com/shipping-news/northern-irish-concerns-over-brexit-transition-period-continue_12 968

Copa-Cogeca, Celcaa, FoodDrinkEurope (via euroactiv.com)

05/06/2020 <<Brexit no deal could ‘severely disrupt’ agrifood sectorBy Natasha FooteFailing to conclude a trade agreement between the EU and the UK would have serious consequences for the agrifood sector, major EU agrifood stakeholders said on Thursday (4 June).As the fourth round of negotiations on the EU-UK future relationship draws to a close, groups working in the sector have expressed their concern, with Farmers association Copa-Cogeca, the European liaison committee for agricultural and agrifood trade Celcaa, and FoodDrinkEurope, saying there is a “growing risk that no agreement will be reached before the end of the current transition period.”They stressed that a combination of ‘no agreement’ and ‘no extension’ of transitional arrangements, combined with the introduction of tariffs and the potential for regulatory divergence, would “severely disrupt integrated supply chains” and agri-food trade between the EU and the UK, which amounted to €58 billion in 2019.Will Surman, Director of Public Affairs & Communications, told EURACTIV that the consequences of a no-deal fallout could include “a major decrease in export volumes from the EU to the UK, a significant fall in revenue, and consequential job losses.”He added that the impact on SMEs, farmers and agri-cooperatives would be particularly detrimental.“We regret that the UK government is currently opposed to any extension of the post-Brexit transition

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period beyond 2020,” the statement reads.“The transition should be of sufficient length for businesses to plan and prepare for any FTA arrangements, and to avoid a cliff-edge situation.”Pekka Pesonen, Secretary-General of Copa-Cogeca, told EURACTIV that, from the farmers’ perspective, EU farmers are on “equal footing” with their UK counterparts and that it is of “crucial importance” that we come to amutually acceptable agreement.https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/brexit-no-deal-could-severely-disrupt-agrifood-sector/ See also: https://www.thenews.coop/148257/sector/agriculture/no-deal-brexit-would-damage-food-industry-europes-agri-co-ops-warn/ https://www.farminglife.com/country-and-farming/eu -agri-food-chain-warns-growing-risk-no-uk-eu-trade-deal-2874674 https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9224402/brexit-no-deal-could-severely-disr upt-agrifood-sector/

Stephen Kelly, chiefexecutive of Manufacturing Northern Ireland

05/06/2020 Business leaders demand delay to Irish Sea border checksSix months needed to prepare for Brexit border checks, warn Northern Ireland business groupsNorthern Ireland business groups are calling for a six month delay to Brexit checks in the Irish Sea saying that Boris Johnson’s late admission that he is legally obliged to implement them has left them no time to prepare for the December cliff edge.They have also hit out at Downing Street secrecy, saying they are refusing to discuss the plans with the very people that needed to implement them.Their call for a six month “adjustment period” falls short of the extension to the transition period that the Stormont assembly unexpectedly agreed to call for earlier this week.But they warned Northern Ireland businesses will go to the wall unless they are given more time by the UK and the EU to set themselves up for the unprecedented changes to the way they trade with Britain.Responding to the government’s command paper on the Northern Ireland protocol with a list of 60 unanswered questions they urged Michael Gove, who is charged with implementing the withdrawal agreement to urgently engage with them.“The level of engagement we have with the UK government across a raft of policy areas is really good. But whenit comes to this Brexit issue, it’s really locked down and controlled. There is no real defined engagement from them,” said Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing Northern Ireland. Aodhán Connolly, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, said businesses were realistic and knew the UK government was not looking to extend the transition period. Businesses were willing to help the government make the new Brexit protocol work but it was “mission critical” to involve them with just seven months to go.

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They warn that there is little capacity for planning with delays on the British side compounded by the Covidcrisis. Even if they had the “bandwidth” they couldn’t prepare because the government has kept them in the dark on the details of customs and regulatory checks that will be imposed.“We had said from January that this was going to be a Herculean task to get everything done in time for 1 January, it has only gotten harder,” said Connolly.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/05/business-leaders-de mand-delay-to-irish-sea-border-checks

BOSS Federation (The trade association representing the UK office supplies and services industry. )

04/06/2020 BOSS Federation<<Without an extension to the Transition Period, there is a widespread concern that busi nesses will not have adequate time to prepare for Brexit on WTO terms. >>https://www.bossfederation.com/industry-news/more/129115/brexit-bulletin-may-ju ne-2020/

Scottish Crofting Federation

05/06/2020 <<Crofting Federation backs call for Brexit extension by Gordon Davidson.Europe's post-Brexit relationship with the UK is 'too important and affects the economic wellbeing of too many people' for the current negotiations to be rushed.Saying that, the Scottish Crofting Federation has endorsed research produced by the Scottish Government which makes it clear that a Brexit extension is essential to Scotland’s economy.“The Covid-19 pandemic is, quite rightly, absorbing considerable resources from all our national governments," said SCF chair Yvonne White. "There is no doubt that it is impossible to conclude a comprehensive trade deal with the European Union before the end of 2020. It is therefore essential that the UK government agrees a two-year extension to the transition period with the EU.“SCF welcomes the Scottish Government’s well-researched evidence of the impact of leaving the EU too quicklyand applaud their work on this," said Ms White. "We entirely support the stance taken, that the UK Government must apply for a two-year extension to the transition period. This is too important and affects the economic wellbeing of too many people for the negotiations to be rushed to meet a self-imposed and arbitrary deadline.”https://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/news/18496725.crofting-federation-backs-call-brexit-extension/

Andrew Opie British Retail Consortium.Mark Bridgeman, Country Land and Business

06/06/2020 <<Back in Westminster Andrew Opie, director of food sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, told MPs that Britain could be able to go “out of the frying pan into the fire” by bouncing from the coronavirus crisis to Brexit disruption at borders.If we thought (disruption during coronavirus) was a problem, I think we should starting looking forward to a disorderly Brexit in January, he told the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. If we get a disorderly Brexit we potentially face a bigger challenge to the food supply chain than was faced with Covid.

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Association.Frances O’Grady, (TUC)

He noted that in January “90 per cent of our lettuces and 80 per cent of our tomatoes and 70 per cent of our soft fruit” come across the channel (and) that disruption could empty shelves.Other groups echoed the same warnings. Josh Hardie, deputy director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), warned that many businesses were simply not ready for the no-deal being threatened.Progress is worryingly slow, causing deep concern to firms when resilience has rarely been more fragile, he said. The stark reality is that most businesses are understandably unprepared for a dramatic change in trading relations with our biggest partner in just six months’ time. With jobs in every region of the UK and EU underpressure, the stakes are higher than ever.A deal that works for both sides’ economies is the only way forward. Political leaders should step in urgently, change the dynamic and find solutions that protect people’s livelihoods. Failure to break the deadlock only leaves a choice between an extension that the UK Government has already ruled out or worse, a deeply damaging no deal, he said.Mark Bridgeman, president of the Country Land and Business Association, which represents some farmers and rural businesses said the “limited progress” was hugely concerning. Make no mistake, without a quality free trade agreement thousands of farmers both in the UK and the EU would go out of business, with all the devastation to lives and communities that go with it, he said.We understand a degree of posturing is inevitable, but no one – on either side of the negotiating table – should forget what is at risk. We strongly encourage both sides to return to the table as quickly as possible, he said.Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) said: The prime minister must buckle down and get a good deal for workers’ jobs and rights. The coronavirus crisis has already put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk. The government can’t allow a no-deal Brexit to put even more families’ livelihoods on the line.Ministers must negotiate a deal with the EU that preserves our access to European markets, supporting good jobs and protecting us from dodgy trade deals with the likes of Donald Trump, she said.>>

https://ww w.tradingandinvestmentnews.co.uk/fears-of-no-deal-brexit-rise-as-uk-eu-negotiations-end-without-progress/ https://www.re porter.am/fears-of-no-deal-in-brexit-trade-talks-rise-as-another-round-of-negotiations-ends-in-acrimony/

British Retail Consortium

05/06/2020 <<Brexit disruption 'could destroy some Northern Irish businesses' in wake of pandemicFailure to negotiate a UK-EU trade agreement would hit Northern Irish supply chains harder than Covid-19, the British Retail Consortium says.Northern Irish businesses could collapse unless they are given at least six months for the "Herculean task" of

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adjusting to the new UK-EU trading relationship from January because Covid-19 has hindered their ability to prepare, a retail body has warned. >>

https://w ww.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/06/05/brexit-disruption-could-destroy-northern-irish-businesses-wake/

Andrew Opie, director of food,British Retail Consortium.

<<No-deal Brexit will ‘cause food shortages worse than coronavirus panic buying’Failure to reach a Brexit deal with Europe will lead to much worse food shortages than the coronavirus panic buying crisis: this was the stark warning made to MPs today by Andrew Opie, director of food at the British Retail Consortium.Speaking to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the impact of coronavirus on food supply, Opie said the empty shelves and shortages seen in March were mild compared to what could happen in 2020 if government negotiators cannot secure a deal with the EU in time.“If we get a disorderly Brexit we potentially face a bigger challenge than that faced from Covid. The reason I saythat is that at no time did we have a problem getting food to this country during this crisis.“In fact, Italy increased its food production during the worst time. It increased pasta production and sent more to us because the borders were flowing.“If we see the border disrupted in January then we’re going to have a big problem, because then we won’t have the food in the country to move around.”>>05/06/2020https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/brexit/no-deal-brexit-will-cause-food-shortages-worse-than-coronavirus-panic-buying/645117.article

Nourish Scotland Nourish Scotland. <<Through the looking glass by Pete Ritchie<<Last week, the Scottish Government published a detailed analysis of the damage a no-deal Brexit would do in the context of Covid-19. Full of arguments, case studies and facts, it makes for a concerning read.And it’s not just Scotland. Two-thirds of the UK public support an extension. Last week we joined the Human Rights Consortium and the Brexit Civil Society Alliance in a letter asking the Prime Minister to extent the

transition period beyond 31st December 2020.We need to step out of this looking glass world, where the people’s will is not the people’s will; and risking the security and prosperity of millions of people as we start recovering from Covid-19 is the core business of

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government.>>http://www.nourishscotland.org/through-the-looking-glass/

The Loadstar 22/05/2020 'If Covid-19 fails to s ink UK firms, a messy Brexit could finish the job'by Alex Lennane <<UK companies, already hit hard by the impacts of Covid-19, could face closure without further clarity on Brexit.Global trade finance expert Dr Kerstin Braun, president of Stenn Group, yesterday warned that the UK’s fast-shrinking economy had already hurt firms, and Brexit could do further damage.“A hard exit following on the heels of the Covid-19 crisis, with potential tariff increases and paperwork confusion, could prove to be a perfect storm for UK firms.“If Covid-19 fails to sink them, a messy Brexit could.”The comments came as the chief executive of Swissport UK warned the government that an aviation strategy would be critical if the UK was to overcome the challenges Brexit would throw at the country. Otherwise, he said, the UK’s aviation sector would fail, while in continental Europe it would thrive>>https://theloadstar.com/if-covid-19-fails-to-sink-uk-firms-a-messy-brexit-could-finish-the-job/

21 leading research scientists in the UK

08/06/2020 <<OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTERFROM LEADING RESEARCH SCIENTISTS IN THE UK

Rt Hon Boris Johnson, MP10 Downing StreetLondonSW1A 2AL

Monday, 8th June 2020

Dear Prime Minister,

Impact on Science Research of Brexit Transition Termination

The response to Covid-19 has shown how international collaboration has been essential for rapid progress in understanding the disease. No single nation has the expertise or innovative pipeline and power to characterize the

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virus, develop a vaccine for it and distribute that vaccine globally.

The huge scientific problems facing globally inter-connected economies, ranging from climate change to artificial intelligence, require shared expertise and research power. There is a wonderful vehicle for galvanizing and funding such collaborative research and innovation, the European Research Area.

The UK played a major role in the creation of the ERA and defining its ways of working and has led many of its most significant research efforts. But our involvement is now in jeopardy with the prospect of a No-Deal Brexit.

We believe that the Government should take whatever time is needed to negotiate a productive future relationship with the EU, including UK research and the ERA. This can only benefit both parties and is manifestly in the long-term interest of the UK and all its citizens.

Covid-19 has inflicted a severe setback to our economy and to future prospects of our youth. Recovery from such a setback will require a strong research and innovation base and a No-Deal Brexit would severely damage it. It would erode the attractiveness of our universities to talent from around the globe and the attractiveness of the UK as a location for leading science and technology businesses, at precisely a time when those goals are under threat due to the pandemic.

We believe a No-Deal Brexit will cause unnecessary and possibly long-term damage because of an arbitrary timeline set before the pandemic.

Yours faithfully,

Venki Ramakrishan, Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2000, President of the Royal SocietySir Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2001Martin Rees FRS, Baron Rees of LudlowNiall FitzGerald KBE, Chairman – Leverhulme TrustProfessor Daniel Anthony, University of OxfordProfessor Dorothy Bishop, University of OxfordProfessor Edward Bullmore, University of CambridgeProfessor Roger Crisp, University of Oxford

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Professor Annette Dolphin, University College London,Professor Dame Athene Donald DBE FRS, University of CambridgeProfessor Barry Everitt FRS, University of CambridgeProfessor Anne Ferguson-Smith FRS, University of CambridgeProfessor Christine Holt FRS, University of CambridgeProfessor Charles Hulme FBA, University of OxfordProfessor Roger Lemon, University College LondonProfessor Stafford Lightman, University of BristolDr Alice Prochaska, Former Principal and Honorary Fellow Somerville College, OxfordProfessor Wolfram Schultz, University of CambridgeProfessor Maggie Snowling CBE, University of OxfordProfessor David Spiegelhalter OBE FRS, University of CambridgeProfessor William Whyte, St John’s College, Oxford>>https://www.movement46.org/impact-on-scientific-res earch-of-brexit-transition-termination/

CIUS (Committee of European Sugar Users)

11/06/2020 CIUS (Committee of European Sugar Users) (CIUS represents the European sugar-using food and beverage industries.)<<CIUS URGENTLY CALLS FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE BREXIT TRANSITION PERIOD to provide certainty that free trade between the UK and EU will continue (...)Dealing with the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis is a huge challenge. We cannot afford the additional uncertainty, costs and disruption that introduction of customs and trade barriers between the UK and EU on January 1st 2021 will cause. We believe that the best course of action at this point would be for the EU and UK authorities to extend the transition period as provided for in the withdrawal agreement. (...)A NO DEAL (WTO MFN conditions) as of 2021 would be hugely detrimental to our industry, and the whole food supply chain. It will disrupt free trade in food ingredients and products both between the EU and theUK and in international trade, and contribute to further losses in trade, revenue and jobs, especially for small- and medium sized enterprises. (...)In the event of a No Deal with the EU, prohibitively high tariffs - equivalent to approximately 100% - would apply to sugar traded between the EU and the UK. Some sugar users would be forced to change suppliers at a

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time when they need stability. The costs of doing business would increase in the UK due to the combination of high tariffs, extra bureaucracy, possible shortages in the short term and the effect of duopoly control of the market in the medium- to long term. This would add to food inflationary pressures. Exports of sugar-containing products would be put at risk. In the event of an EU-UK trade agreement, many businesses and consumers in the food and drinks sector will not be able to benefit from free trade unless the right product-specific rules of origin are in place.>>http://cius.org/fileadmin/u ser_upload/documents/2015/CIUS_2020-17.pdf

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

11/06/2020 <<Science is a global collaboration – a hard Brexit could harm efforts to end the pandemicIf we leave without an agreement to associate with the EU’s research programmes, we risk jeopardising vital links between our scientistsVenkatraman Ramakrishnan

Since the referendum, the government has repeatedly said that maintaining the UK’s global strength in research and innovation would be a priority, post Brexit.Today we stand just over six months away from a potential no-deal Brexit that would do serious damage toour science.Science is a global collaboration; the UK’s success has been built on that. Europe is by some distance the UK’s biggest and fastest growing scientific collaborator.(...)I understand the political brinkmanship involved in the Brexit negotiations but I wonder if those willing totake us to the brink, and perhaps over it, appreciate the damage that has already been done by the uncertainty, and the damage that will be done in the future.(…)Today, as my colleagues and I have pointed out in our open letter, the huge scientific problems facing globally inter-connected economies, ranging from climate change to artificial intelligence, require shared expertise and research power. (….)Given the damage Covid-19 has inflicted on our economy, it is inconceivable that any government would not do everything in its power to protect its research base. (…)We have heard very positive words from Government about association to the EU programmes, but kind words are not enough. (….)

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The Covid-19 pandemic has shown just how important research is, both in tackling a pandemic and in rebuilding our economy afterwards. The Government must do whatever is necessary to avoid the threat of a no-deal Brexit and the self-harm it would inflict on UK science. >> https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-hea lth/science-and-disease/science-global-collaboration-hard-brexit-could-harm-efforts/

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI.

11/06/2020 <<Firms can't cope with no deal and virus - CBI boss by Simon JackBritish firms do not have the resilience to cope with a no-deal Brexit after the battering of the coronavirus crisis, according to the outgoing boss of industry body the CBI.Carolyn Fairbairn said a CBI member had likened a no-deal to "setting the shed on fire" while the house was in flames.(…)Dame Carolyn Fairbairn told the BBC that any buffers to cope with the additional cost and planning of an exit from the EU customs union and single market without a deal had been exhausted by the Covid-19 pandemic."The resilience of British business is absolutely on the floor," she said."Every penny of cash that had been stored up, all the stockpiles prepared have been run down."The firms that I speak to have not a spare moment to plan for a no trade deal Brexit at the end of the year - that is the common sense voice that needs to find its way into these negotiations."(…)The devastating impact of Covid-19 and the fight for business survival has diverted management attentionaway from any Brexit contingency planning, according to Dame Carolyn, who worries that a political commitment to abandon the current transitional trading arrangements - come what may - will add to the burden on business at a critical moment."As one member put it to me - just because the house is on fire, it doesn't make it ok to set fire to the garden shed."If we have a political timescale that takes us to a brinksmanship deal in December that will be catastrophic for British business - they will not be ready."Small businesses were not ready last time there was a no-deal Brexit threat - this time they will not have had a moment to prepare for it."(...)>>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53002961https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/no-deal-brexit-after-coronavirus-carolyn-fairbairn-boris-johnson-a4466091.html https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/11/economy/uk-coronavirus-brexit-business/index.html

Shane Brennan, 10/06/2020 Yorkshire Bylines.

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Cold Chain Federation; Peter MacSwinney, Agency Sector Management

<< Freight boss tells Gove: “don’t patronise us” by Anthony Robinson.The simmering row between road hauliers and the government burst into the open yesterday when the chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation told Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, “don’t patronise us.”Shane Brennan had just become aware of Gove’s comments in front of the future relationship select committee on 27 May. He tweeted his frustration at the minister’s apparent cheap dismissal of industry concerns about a total lack of preparedness for leaving the customs union and the single market at the end of the year.Brennan’s outburst came on the same day that the chair of a major software company providing solutions for freight forwarders and logistics businesses, described the end of December time frame for implementing new checks on goods moving between GB and Northern Ireland as “not viable.”This is according to a report in the American Journal of Transportation dated 9 June. Agency Sector Management (ASM), based in Ashford, Kent was formed in 1994 by the British International Freight Association (BIFA) to provide technology and support for the freight forwarders who are members of BIFA. (…)Peter MacSwinney, chair of ASM said: “If we were speaking of having a working system in place by 2025, that would be one thing. Brexit is little more than six months away and, without official guidance, the freight community is genuinely concerned that trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, in both directions, willbe severely affected.” He goes on to say: “Although we do know there have to be Customs declarations, we do not know what the actual process is going to be, though the Government has said there is no need for a new physical Customs infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Implementation timescales have now become a critical factor, and, to that extent, a 12-month extension of the transition period (our emphasis) would offer the possibility of a practical solution.” An update regarding Brexit on the company’s website says“We, along with most other trade bodies, are sceptical about the achievability of the dates announced by Customs, (our emphasis) for a number of mostly technical reasons.”>>https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/freight-boss-tell-gove-dont-patronise-us/

Copa and Cogeca, Celcaa and FoodDrinkEurope

10/06/2020 <<EU agri-food chain warns of ‘growing risk’ of no UK-EU trade deal. By Chloe RyanThree European food and farming organisations have called for an extenstion on the post-Brexit transition period to avoid a cliff edge exit at the end of the year, should trade negotiations fail.Copa and Cogeca, Celcaa and FoodDrinkEurope are particularly concerned about the limited amount of time available in which to conclude and ratify a trade deal. “We regret that the UK government is currently opposed to any extension of the post-Brexit transition period beyond 2020,” the organisations said in a joint statement. “The transition should be of sufficient length for businesses to plan and prepare for any FTA arrangements, and to avoid a cliff-edge situation.”

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(...)The combination of no agreement and no extension of transitional arrangements would have significant negative consequences for the EU agri-food sector, the statement said.(..)EU agri-food trade with the UK amounted to €58 billion in 2019. The groups are concerned the failure to conclude a zero tariff, zero quota FTA would have serious consequences for the agri-food sector both in theEU and the UK. >>http://www.poultrynews.co.uk/business-politics/eu-politics/eu-agri-food-chain-warns-of-growing-r isk-of-no-uk-eu-trade-deal.html

The Loadstar 12/06/2020 <<No extension to Brexit transition period, but border controls will be eased, at first by Alex LennaneThe UK government has confirmed it will not seek an extension to the Brexit transition period, but will relax border controls for imports, initially, and implement new controls, in stages, to give businesses more time to prepare.In what seems an admission that businesses – and customs – will not be ready for the huge shift, particularly as they continue to battle the impacts of coronavirus, the government said it would offer an additional £50m in grants, on top of the initial £34m, to “accelerate the growth of the UK’s current customs intermediaries sector”.The government said: “Recognising the impact of coronavirus on businesses’ ability to prepare, and following the announcement in February that the UK would implement full border controls on imports coming into GB from the EU, the UK has taken the decision to introduce the new border controls in three stages up until 1 July 2021. This flexible and pragmatic approach will give industry extra time to make necessary arrangements.”Cabinet minister Michael Gove also appeared to be pulling back from his recent comments that businesses were exaggerating their concerns.[….]The UK logistics industry welcomed the news. Elizabeth de Jong, policy director at the Freight Transport Association, said: “The logistics industry is extremely grateful for the measures announced by the UK government to stage the introduction of new trading arrangements between the EU and UK in the first six monthsafter the transition period.“They have listened to our concerns and made allowances to enable our sector to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and plan effectively so that we can continue to trade effectively with Europe.”>>https://theloadstar.com/no-extension-to-brexit-transition-period-but-border-controls-will-be-eased-at-first/

Drapers Online 16/06/2020 <<'Suppliers condemn government's Brexit 'madness' by Isabella Fish. UK suppliers and manufacturers lewishave expressed disappointment that the government will press ahead with Brexit at the end of this year, but have welcomed the proposed phasing-in of customs checks on goods from the European Union.

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“In my opinion it is madness, after all that has happened in 2020, that we did not even consider extending the transition,” one footwear supplier told Drapers.“The economy has been devastated and I do not see Brexit – whether hard or soft – helping this in the short or the long term. The shutdown has been extremely challenging.“There are major issues for business to get over and through. These may include stock, which needs to be sold at clearance prices to improve cash positions. This obviously affects profitability.“Recovery will] not happen overnight, or even in a few months. So, to put further constraints, administrative costs or delays on our supply chain in 2021, is, in my opinion, ridiculous.” [..]Laura Gore, managing director of silk supplier Vanners, said: “An extension [to the Brexit transition period] would of course have been preferable to us as we ship our yarns in from our Italian supplier and other parts for machinery. The phasing gives a slight comfort. However, after the damage of the pandemic, we will certainly be looking for government to support us in every way possible to stop further damage to trade.” […] Simon Cotton, CEO of Scottish knitwear manufacturer Johnstons of Elgin, welcomed the phased import controls:“Europe remains a critical market for us, as many of the world’s leading brands that we service are based in France and Italy.“Retaining unrestricted, free access to this most important market, remains absolutely essential to us and the whole UK textile industry.”>>https://www.drapersonline.com/news/suppliers-condemn-governments-brexit-madness/7040724.ar ticle

British Meat Processors Association (BMPA)

18/06/2020 <<UK meat suppliers fear loss of EU exports following Brexit transition by Kevin WhiteTime was now running out to safeguard future export orders, the BMPA said

Suppliers are looking to safeguard future export orders to the EU.UK meat suppliers will start losing EU orders from September, unless the government clarifies what export and tariff arrangements will be in place after the end of the Brexit transition period, the British Meat Processors Association has warned.With the government last week formally notifying the bloc it would “neither accept nor seek any extension to thetransition period” beyond 31 December, time was now running out to safeguard future export orders, the BMPA said.Orders, particularly from European retailers, were planned three to four months in advance to allow for pricing, barcoding and any promotions that need to go on the packaging, said BMPA CEO Nick Allen.But despite the government confirming last week it would adopt a phased introduction to border controls for EU imports into the UK, no assurances had yet been given to those looking to export from the UK to the EU, he pointed out.

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“There is a worrying lack of information coming out of government on the crucial issues of formal approval of the UK to export meat products to the EU and the approval of our meat plants,” Allen warned.“If this process is delayed till the autumn there will be huge uncertainty about our status from 1 January andUK exporters will not be able to agree forward contracts.”There were also “deep concerns” over the provision of an army of extra veterinary inspectors that would berequired by law as soon as the transition period ended, he pointed out.“These additional vets will need to sign-off consignments of EU bound meat products. Currently nobody is taking responsibility for these issues and a lack of certainty could see export orders grind to a halt.”https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/brexit/government-formally-rules-out-brexit-transition-extension/645312.article>>

https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/meat/uk-meat-suppliers-fear-loss-of-eu-exports-following-brexit-transition/645471.article

NFU Scotland 22/06/2020 Scottish farmers warn Brexit could 'compound' Covid-19 supply chain challenges by David BolFarming leaders have warned that the decision not to extend the Brexit transition period past the end of 2020 could “compound existing problems” as the industry tackles “myriad challenges” brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. […]“NFUS [NFU Scotland] feels it is vital to highlight the future relationship negotiations with the EU as a further factor which could upset the equilibrium of the supply chain as much, if not more, as the current pandemic or other variables such as unforeseen weather events. “With all sectors of the agricultural industry already fragile, NFUS believes it is legitimate to query how the planned date of departure at the end of 2020 will compound existing problems. NFUS asks the committee toquery UK Government on where the capacity within government is to deliver an orderly exit on 31 December 2020 in terms of government’s engagement with industry.” https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18533853.scottish-farmers-warn-brexit-compound-covid-19-supply-chain-challenges/

Dr Louise Gill, GlaxoSmithKline

22/06/2020 <<No-deal Brexit would see pharmaceutical exports to EU drop by 22%, peers toldPharmaceutical exports to the EU would slump by more than a fifth if the UK exits the Brexit transition period without a deal, peers have been told.Dr Louise Gill, head of policy at GlaxoSmithKline, told the Lords EU Goods Sub-Committee that if such a scenario played out at the end of the year preliminary data showed a decline in sales to the EU of 22.5%.She said a simple free trade agreement (FTA) would be almost as bad, with a drop in exports of 22%.However, Dr Gill said that if an FTA was coupled with a mutual recognition agreement – meaning both parties would allow goods manufacturing inspections and acceptance of batch testing performed either in the UK

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or the EU – exports would decline by 12.6%.This would reduce the loss in exports to around two billion euro (£1.8 billion) per year, Dr Gill said.Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted he will not accept the EU’s offer of a transition period extension beyond December 31, despite trade talks making slow progress.>>https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18534548.no-deal-brexit-see-pharmaceutical-exports-eu-drop-22-peers-told/

Mike Hawes, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)

23/06/2020 <<UK Auto calls for restart support as Covid crisis threatens one in six jobs.‘Turbocharged’ Brexit negotiations needed to deliver a comprehensive zero-tariff FTA – crucial to avoiding crippling £40bn production losses by 2025. The harsh reality of the Covid crisis for the UK’s £18.6 billion automotive sector is laid bare today by a new member survey from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealing that up to one in six jobs are at risk of redundancy. Mike Hawes [SMMT Chief Executive] said,Covid has consumed every inch of capability and capacity and the industry has not the resource, the time nor the clarity to prepare for a further shock of a hard Brexit. That’s why we do need to ‘turbo charge’ the negotiations to secure a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU that maintains tariff and quota free trade… The impact of the pandemic on manufacturing is expected to cut annual car and light commercial vehicle production volumes by a third to just 920,000 units this year. With an ambitious, tariff-free FTA in place, fullrecovery is expected to take up to five years, with output reaching pre-crisis levels of 1.35 million units by 2025.However, a ‘no deal’ scenario would severely damage these prospects and could see volumes falling below 850,000 by 2025 – the lowest level since 1953. This would mean a £40 billion cut in revenues, on top of the £33.5 billion cost of Covid-19 production losses over the period.3Automotive is one of the UK’s most valuable economic assets, exporting more goods than any other sector, generating billions for the economy and supporting some 168,000 high-skilled and high-paid manufacturing jobs in communities across every nation and region of the UK.>>https://www.smmt.co.uk/2020/06/uk-auto-calls-for-restart-support-as-covid-crisis-threatens-one-in-six-jobs/

Martin Dorsman, European Community Shipowners’ Associations

19/06/2020 <<ECSA calls for urgent action for Brexit negotiationsThe European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) has expressed concern for the looming end of the UK’s Brexit negotiations and has called for all parties to avoid a no deal at all costs. [....]Following the plenary vote in the European Parliament on 19 June on the recommendations on the future EU-UKrelations, ECSA reiterates the position of the European shipping industry and calls for urgent action regarding

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(ECSA) the avoidance of a no-deal scenario.The association has stated that shipping and the fluidity of EU-UK trade depends on a comprehensive agreement and one which should be concluded rapidly. [...]“ECSA expresses deep concern for the looming end of the negotiation period and the reported lack of progress inthe discussions so far,” commented Martin Dorsman, ECSA’s Secretary General.“The industry is adamant that a hard or no-deal scenario in January 2021 is to be avoided at all costs. Should an FTA not be achievable within such a limited timeframe, both sides should already look for pragmatic and flexible solutions to support businesses and the smooth continuation of trade, with as few barriers at the EU and UK sea borders as possible,” concluded Dorsman.>>https://www.porttechnology.org/news/ecsa-calls-for-urgent-action-for-brexit-negotiations/

Juergen Maier, former CEO of Siemens UK

22/06/2020 Tweet: <<Business has prepared for #NoDeal #Brexit twice. It now has less cash and resources due to #COVID19, so it seems obvious to me that preparing for a third time is not an option and Gove/Governmentneed to get a damn good deal, and not blame business! >>https://twitter.com/Juergen_Maier/status/1275125488353185793?s=20- replying to Michael Gove, who said he was “worried about how few businesses have made Brexit preparations for the UK’s exit from the EU single market and customs union”. https://www.cityam.com/michael-gove-concerned-at-how-few-uk-businesses-have-made-brexit-preparations/

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3. Experts and commentators

Prof. Chris Grey21/04/2020 <<The question is not just whether to extend the Brexit transition, but for how long

“It is therefore highly unlikely that a one-year extension to the end of 2021 would be sufficient. But if, at the end of this June, that is all that has been agreed then there will be no mechanism for further extension. Prudence would therefore suggest agreeing the maximum extension of two years. If it turns out that this is over-cautious, then it does not need to be used. But it would be available if necessary.None of this is about reversing Brexit. Brexit has happened now. Nor is it about being pro- or anti-Brexit. People on either side of that debate have an interest in Brexit now being done as smoothly and as effectively as possible.No one could have predicted at the time of the referendum, or the last election, or the drafting of the Withdrawal Agreement that set the transition period, that we would face this pandemic. So there’s no shame in changing what was planned—and, after all, the provisions for extension were agreed precisely in case this was necessary. And there is much wisdom in doing so in a way that allows maximum flexibility. We only have one shot at this.”>>https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/brexit-transition-extension- coronavirus

Allie Renison 22/05/2020 Head of EU and Trade Policy at the Institute of Directors.“The IoD has long put its focus squarely on the need for a real implementation period, to convey the needs of business rather than squabbling over the politics of transition. How that is achieved isless important to firms, but if extension proves the only way to do so, then it should be on the table.”https ://capx.co/businesses-badly-need-a-smooth-end-to-the-brexit-transition-even-if-it-means-extension/

Nick Witney, The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)

21/05/2020 The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) “So the time to face up to the problem is now, before the possibility of extension has been overtaken by the calendar. Or, if not face up to it, at least fudge it. A former trade adviser to Theresa May has just come up with one smart way in which the old trick of extending the time fornegotiations while disguising it as period for ‘implementation’ might be repeated. (…) Nothing in Johnson’s record to date suggests a willingness to meet trouble halfway, when charm, bluster, and good fortune might yet make the problem evaporate. But here, too, the virus may just have

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changed the landscape. Johnson must know, even if naturally he denies it, that Britain would not now be topping the European death statistics if the government’s initial response had not been so lethally complacent. Equally, he must know that the same breezy insouciance about the need for physical distancing very nearly cost him his own life. Can we now hope that Johnson will apply this learning to the Brexit negotiations? It is less effort, of course, just to stick with the easy descent; retracing your steps is the hard bit, as Virgil pointed out. But the alternative prospect is truly hellish.” https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_those_brexit_negotiations_the_descen t_to_hell

Institute for Government

23/05/2020 "(I)n its most forthright intervention to date, the influential thinktank Institute for Government (IfG) said the transition period must be extended or a longer implementation period agreed for thenew border arrangements in the Irish Sea. It warns that many businesses are simply focused on “staying afloat” during the coronavirus crisis and cannot be expected to concentrate on new trade arrangements – and suggests the government is underestimating the complexity of the new Northern Ireland arrangements.“The UK and the EU should extend the transition period or agree to a separate longer implementation period for the withdrawal agreement,” the institute warns in a new report. “The timetable for putting arrangements in place for the Irish Sea border was very tight even before Covid-19 hit Europe. But now coronavirus has slowed the pace of negotiations on the future relationship, delaying key decisions...." https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/23/johnsons-promised-brexit-border-in-irish-sea-will-not-be-ready-in-timehttps://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/implementing-brexit-northern-ireland-protocol

Institute for Government

30/05/2020 <<Implementing Brexit: securing more timeTime is short for the UK and the EU to agree and ratify the terms of their future relationship – andcoronavirus has added to the pressure. This paper has set out five options for both sides to secure more time after the 31 December deadline. >>https:/ /www.instit uteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/implementing-brexit-securing-more-time https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sit es/default/files/publications/implementing-brexit-securing-more-time.pdf

David Walsh - The Star, Sheffield /

05/05/2020 “Brexit transition extension vital amid coronavirus 'catastrophe' says CBI”(Report citing Nicole Sykes (CBI) and Sarah Olney MP (Lib Dem))

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Sarah Olney MP (Liberal Democrat)

<<The Liberal Democrats said an extension was the "only sensible option", to allow time for proper negotiations, but the Prime Minister has said he has no intention of doing so.The party’s international trade spokeswoman, Sarah Olney said: "These figures once again illustrate the importance of our trading relationship with the EU."Ministers should be doing everything in their power to protect the economy from further shocks including the potentially devastating impact of a no-deal Brexit.">>https://www.thestar.co.uk/business/brexit-transition-extension-vital-amid-coronavirus-catastrophe-says-cbi-2843079

Clare Foges 11/05/2020 The Times. <<This is no time to be stubborn about Brexit.Global recovery will take years, during which time negotiating a free-trade deal with the UK will not be foremost on many agendas. A no-deal Brexit wouldn’t be stepping into the sunlit uplands of a thriving global economy but something closer to a wasteland.Something else has diminished over the course of the past couple of months: our faith that British institutions, primarily the government, have the skills to handle a no-deal Brexit. We have heard endless swagger about how Britain would be fine on WTO terms, with the implicit suggestion thatWhitehall has the capacity and dynamism to shape this new “global Britain”. The no-deal dream isbuilt on the idea of British exceptionalism. But the failings of recent months, whether on PPE, testing, quarantining or government messaging, have dented that hubris.The world has been shocked by the government’s handling of this crisis. The international press scorns its “complacent”, “incompetent”, “negligent” approach. Do we really have the commanding authority necessary to draw up a load of trade deals in short order?We must plead with our government to climb down and extend the talks. The withdrawal agreement allows for an extension of one or two years; we should go for two. As only a single extension is allowed, let us go for the maximum. If it’s not needed, it won’t be used. Yes, the prospect may horrify Boris Johnson. He was the man who “got Brexit done” — and who would beloath to append that pure slogan with “well, not quite”. Yet he should credit the British public with the sense to change their minds when the facts do. A poll carried out by Focaldata last month found that two thirds of us would like the transition to be extended, including 49 per cent of Leavevoters.

Paranoid Brexiteers will claim an extension is Remainer sabotage; the establishment trying to squash Brexit under the cover of the virus. But that fight is over. Brexit cannot be reversed. It is inall our interests, now more than ever, for this to be done well, ending in a comprehensive trade

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agreement with our closest neighbours. When you’re caught in a rainy day, seek out umbrellas, not other storms. Let sense prevail. Request the extension.”>> https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/this-is-no-time-to-be-stubborn-about-brexit-w3w6cgr0j

Denis McShane (former MP and Europe minisiter)

12/05/2020 Former David Cameron aide [Clare Foges] is right to blast Tories for ignoring Brexit extension“Ms Foges is correct. Labour shadow ministers and MPs should talk to the businesses in theirportfolio areas or constituencies, local Chambers of Commerce, and regional CBI councils, to urge them to politely talk to Tory MPs to get an extension before it’s too late.” “ Professor Tim Bale, one of our smartest political analysts, has number crunched MPs and thinks there is a majority for an extension if Johnson asks for it. Labour should make it clear it will support an extension in the national interest, rather than make the economic costs of Covid19 crisis far worse. ” https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/denis-macshane-on-risks-of- ignoring-a-brexit-exten sion-during-coronavirus-1-6649668 http://www.laboureurope.eu/john son_must_decide_face_down_his_brexit_zealots _or_add_no_deal_brexit_to_his_list_of_problems

Martin Wolf 22/02/2020 Martin Wolf, Financial Times. "The wisest thing to do would be to reach a comprehensive free trade deal with the EU, on the best available terms, and then move on. The second wisest thing would be to accept that now is not the time for another shock and ask for an extension of transition until this crisis is over. ” https://www.ft.com/content/d12f85ec-9aba-11ea-adb1-529f96d8a00b

Financial Times 21/05/2020 <<The UK needs to extend its EU transition periodWith or without a trade deal, the virus-hit economy would face extra burdens.THE EDITORIAL BOARD In less than five weeks, the UK and EU must decide whether to extend beyond the end of this yearthe post-Brexit transition period that grants Britain continued frictionless trade with the bloc. Boris Johnson has been adamant that he will not seek to prolong it. This may still be a tactic. Yet with the July 1 deadline for agreeing an extension almost upon us there is no sign of progress towards a permanent new trade deal. This week’s publication of proposed UK texts, and the response, show both sides are still haggling in the bazaar. There is disingenuousness and unreality in the two partners’ depictions of their respective positions. Even before the pandemic, the goal for a new trade deal by the year-end seemed ambitious.

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But there is a more pressing reason for the prime minister to slow the rush to completion. The UK’s stated plan will see significant new regulatory burdens placed upon British exporters and importers. The decision not to enter a customs union and refusal to sign up to legally enforceable common standards will place new costs on UK businesses, just when many are already fighting for survival because of coronavirus. Michael Gove, the cabinet office minister, has said that deal or no, firms will need to hire up to 50,000 new customs agents to manage the extra paperwork. Arguing in favour of an extension is not an attempt to thwart Brexit. The UK’s withdrawal from the EU has already happened. The British public has spoken twice on the issue, in the 2016 in-out referendum and then in the decisive victory it handed to Mr Johnson in the 2019 election. The prime minister has a mandate to deliver in the way his government decides — but not to take steps that would compound the economic damage caused by the pandemic. Mr Johnson argues that deadlines focus the mind, though this does not mean the deal struck will be any better for the UK. The fundamental power imbalance in the talks remains. The government has spun a myth around the last months of negotiations prior to exit in which Mr Johnson faced down Brussels. As his constant wriggling to avoid meeting his treaty obligations with regard to Northern Ireland shows, this is not the case. In truth, the prime minister agreed to weaken the integrity of the UK to secure a deal. The immediate issue for the UK, however, is the extra cost to business and the continued uncertainty. Some Brexit hardliners argue the added costs will be lost in the wider economic malaise caused by Covid-19. This is not a serious argument. For firms struggling to rebuild, any new cost could be one too many. Delay does carry some costs. Britain would have to make further contributions to the EU budget and be bound for longer by its rules. Extending talks with Brussels might also slow trade deals with others. But this is a price worth paying for a little longer. A delay need not undermine the UK negotiating position nor arm those who still wish Brexit was not happening. This government has time to complete the job. But with the chancellor Rishi Sunakpredicting a “severe recession” the economy must come first. The new rules will hit business and exports. Civil service resources are being diverted to no-deal planning when there are more pressing issues. The need now, as Mr Johnson has told cabinet colleagues since his election victory, is to show maturity and stop fighting old battles. Though many fear the consequences of Brexit, there are no longer Remainers and Leavers. There is only a British economy facing a dire recession. The government needs to give it a break.”

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https://www.ft.com/content/cf46dec4-9aa1-11ea-adb1-529f96d8a00b

Raoul Rouparel 18/05/2020 “A solution to the Brexit transition conundrum. Why a conditional extension could allow everyonemore time to prepare while keeping up pressure on negotiators.”https://www.politico.eu/a rticle/brexit-transition-conundrum-solution/

James Smith 20/04/2020 Developed Markets Economist, ING Think. "Brexit: Why an extension to the transition period still seems likely” https://think.ing.com/articles/brexit-why-an-extension-to-the-transition-period-seems-likely/

William Keegan 17/05/2020 Journalist, economics commentator.<<The pandemic and its economic impact should persuade even this cabinet of the value of a two-year delay to departure >> https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/17/brexit-strange-idea-derailed- strange-times-pandemic

Isobel Oakeshott 10/04/2020 Journalist, Vote Leave campaigner.“I now think it is inevitable the Brexit transition period will be extended and as a Brexiteer I am cool with this. The corona catastrophe changes everything. We have enough to deal with.” Twitter.https://twitter.com/IsabelOakeshott/status/1248569338896023552?s=20

Dmitry Grozoubinski

21/04/2020 Founder of explaintrade.com and former WTO negotiator <<Brexit can be done right by extending the transition to make up for the time coronavirus stole>>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/04/21/brexit-can-done-right-extending-transition-make-time-coronavirus/

Joe Owen 15/04/2020 Brexit Programme Director, Institute for Government <<Agreeing to extend the transition period will still leave the two sides with the problem that existed before coronavirus: the time will likely be consumed by negotiations, so how can changes be eased in rather than introduced overnight? Businesses will need more than a handful weeks to properly adjust once the outcome of the deal is clear.One option would be to set a new date for the transition to end, and if a deal is agreed by that point then an extra slot of time automatically kicks in – giving businesses breathing space to adaptonce the details are known. The key is to give business early warning of a revised timetable – and then enough time to prepare.

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This government has promised it would not ask for more time. But not all policy U-turns are a sign of weakness – and certainly not when made to help manage an unprecedented national crisis. The greater risk is that the government tries to conclude Brexit and tackle the coronavirus at the same time, and finds it can do neither well.>>https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/coronavirus-response-means-government-will-need-extend-brexit-transition-period

Angus Armstrong,Anand Menon

19/04/2020 Director of the Rebuilding Macroeconomics network Director of The UK in a Changing Europe <<Let's get serious: we need to extend the transition period with the EUGiven the pandemic’s likely impact on world trade, we should amend the December deadline>>https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/19/coronavirus-complications-december-brexithttps://ukandeu.ac.uk/the-transition-period-needs-to-be-extended/

Prof. Anand Menon, Prof. Jonathan Portes / The UK in a Changing Europe

23/04/2020 <<Covid-19 crisis strengthens case for extension“And now the Covid-19 crisis has presented Johnson with what looks like a perfect excuse. Even the most Brexit-obsessed, both Leave and Remain, have other things to worry about.It is hard to see a u-turn – justified, as it would be, by an unprecedented health and economic crisis both here and in the EU – generating a huge political backlash. Most of us would simply shrug.(….)At present, we have little idea what the medium to long-term impact of the Covid-19 shock will beon the UK, EU and global economies.But whatever they are, it hardly seems sensible to overlay a further and entirely self-inflicted hit tothe UK economy.Business, in particular – already resentful that its interests have largely been ignored in formulating the UK’s negotiating position – would find such a decision incomprehensible.(....)On balance, the pandemic probably does make the economic risks of exiting transition without a trade deal larger.”

ht tps://ukandeu.ac.uk/covid-19-crisis-strengthens-case-for-extension/ htt ps://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/04/anand-menon-and-jonathan-portes-on-

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balance-the-pandemic-strengthens-the-case-for-extending-the-brexit-transition.html

Sam Lowe 24/04/2020 Senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. <<Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform thinktank, believes an extension is inevitable but Johnson has “no incentive” to seek one until June, the deadline for a one-off UK request.“A free-trade agreement could still be agreed but it would be hard to implement. Even if we were coming to the end of this pandemic by then, businesses will be not be prepared,” said Lowe, who described himself as optimistic that a free-trade deal could be done by the end of the year, albeit a poor one.>>

https://www.cer.eu/insights/why-uk-should-extend-transition-period https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/24/who-and-what-uk-and-eu-resume-interupted-brexit-talks-future-relationaship

Jeremy Warner 12/05/2020 Associate Editor, The Daily Telegraph <<Covid-19 has completely sunk the chances of a swift EU trade dealThe current pandemic that is so damaging on a global scale, has made all talks increasingly irrelevant>>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/05/12/covid-19-has-completely- sunk-chances-swift-eu-trade-deal/

Matthew O’Toole 14/03/2020 A former adviser to Theresa May who is now an SDLP politician in Northern Ireland’s assembly https://www.theguardian.c om/politics/2020/mar/14/calls-to-extend-eu-transition-period-as-europe-fights-coronavirus

David Henig 17/04/2020 Former UK trade negotiator <<A Brexit transition extension is an insurance policy at a time of extreme risk>>

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/04/17/brexit-transition- extension- insurance-policy-time-extreme-risk/

Fabian Zuleeg and Jannike Wachowiak, European Policy

26/05/2020 <<The UK government’s refusal to consider an extension to the Brexit process represents a “reckless” and “irresponsible” stance, given the “unprecedented economic crisis” sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a leading EU think tank. Experts at the European Policy Centre said the contagion had not only impacted on the

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Centre/Scottish Parliament

practicalities of the talks surrounding the UK’s departure from the EU, but had rendered it “extremely difficult” for both sides to move beyond technical negotiations given the demands of responding to the outbreak.Fabian Zuleeg and Jannike Wachowiak from the European Policy Centre said that the prospect of the UK leaving the transition period without a future free trade agreement deal in place “could not come at a worse time,” and stressed that even a managed ‘no deal’ scenario “will create immense uncertainty for businesses and have severe economic consequences.”The warning comes in a letter to MSPs on Holyrood’s culture, tourism, Europe, and external affairs committee ahead of their latest meeting tomorrow.>>

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politi cs/uk-governments-refusal-consider-brexit-extension-reckless-and-irresponsible-2863841

Prof. Chris Grey /Scottish Parliament

26/05/2020 Holyrood’s culture, tourism, Europe, and external affairs committee <<also received written evidence from Professor Chris Grey, head of the department of human resource managementand organisation studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, who said an extension to the transition period - ideally for a period of two years - was “vital” in the circumstances.He explained: “The unforeseen disruption caused by Covid-19 has reduced and probably destroyed even the small possibility of doing any meaningful trade deal by December, let alone ratifying it.“Several rounds of planned negotiation have already been missed, key personnel on both sides have been ill, and videoconferencing is a poor substitute for face-to-face meetings for matters of this complexity.”Mr Grey also pointed out that any extension to the transition period need not necessarily take the form of the UK request. He said the withdrawal agreement would allow it to be agreed by the jointcommittee without publicly having been initiated by either side.“This is an important and often overlooked point, which might be significant in terms of UK domestic politics,” he added.>>

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/uk-governments-refusal-consider- brexit-extension-reckless-and-irresponsible-2863841

Belfast Telegraph/ Stephen Farry MP, Alliance Party

25 5 2020 <<Prime Minister Boris Johnson is coming under increasing pressure to extend the deadline for the implementation of the Brexit withdrawal agreement to avoid a hard border in the Irish Sea.An influential UK think tank said businesses are focused more on "staying afloat" rather than

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understanding new trade agreements.The position is echoed by the Alliance Party, whose North Down MP Stephen Farry said: "Ultimately, given the need to focus on the Covid-19 crisis and its economic fallout, Alliance believes the UK Government must now seek an extension to the Brexit transition period.">>https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/no rthern-ireland/fresh-calls-for-brexit-deadline-extension-to-avoid-hard-irish-sea-border-3923 0522.html

Kathryn Petrie and Amy Norman, Best for Britain/ Social Market Foundation

31/05/2020 (Commissioned by) Best for Britain: Assessing the economic implications of coronavirus and Brexit, by Kathryn Petrie and Amy Norman (Social Market Foundation) << “How policymakers should respond to the picture revealed in this report is beyond our remit here. For the avoidance of doubt, this report does not take a position on which form Brexit should take or express any view on the choices that policymakers should make over Britain’s future relationship with the EU. We acknowledge that our sponsors take a clear view about those policy choices, including on the possible extension of transitional arrangements. The SMF expresses no view on that, in this report or elsewhere.” “Given the large increase in government expenditure as a result of coronavirus it is hard to see how the Government could afford another stimulus package in early 2021 due to failing to secure a deal without adding to already unprecedented borrowing and potentially testing the patience of gilt buyers.”>>In considerable and regional detail, this evidence-based report shows how COVID-19 plus No Deal will break the eUK conomy beyong our ability to fix it. And leaves you to draw whatevcer conclusion you choose. Described by BfB CEO Naomi Smith as “a report commissioned by the Best for Britain group, warning of a profound economic impact of ending the transition period on December 31”.

https://www.bestforbritain.org/impactassessment

Indirect Tax Matters

May 2020 Indirect Tax Matters May 2020<<Is Brexit on track? Some significant bodies both in UK and EU have cast doubt on the current transition deadline (31 December 2020) and that an extension may be sought but more likely later in year. Vicky Price (Chief Economist/Economics & Business Research London) was recently quoted as saying “The government insists that all is on track, but we all suspect NOT”, while Mr. Kallum Pickering (Economist Berenberg) said “we should not rule an extension out despite the official position….(UK) ministers would likely accept a 6 or 12 month delay given the circumstances”.

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Chief at Europe and UK Signum Global (a political risk advisory body), Ms Anna Rosenberg has said that the coronavirus crisis had increased the odds of an extension from 20% to 60%. >>https://www2.deloitte.com/ie/en/pages/tax/articles/itm-is-brexi t-on-track.

Irish Times 19/03/2020 <<The Irish Times view on Brexit: Delay is almost certainGovernments will not have time to conduct necessary talks in light of coronavirus crisis>>https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/the-irish-times-view-on-brexit-delay-is-almost-certain-1.4206256

Professor Alex de Ruyter, Director of the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University

(30/05/2020)

https://www.express.co.uk/ <<Brexit warning: UK desperately needs trade deal more than EU experts believeProfessor Alex de Ruyter, Director of the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University, explained to Express.co.uk: “The EU holds all the advantage in the post-Brexit trade talks."As the UK conducts about half of its trade with the EU, whilst the EU in total only exports about 10 percent of its products to the UK, which will be heavily concentrated in certain sectors like automotive and fall more on countries like Germany."So whilst both sides would take a hit from ‘No Deal’, the effects would be far more severe for theUK.When asked if the UK should extend the transition period beyond December 31, 2020, Professor de Ruyter added: "Yes, for all the reasons alluded to above. COVID-19 has sapped the ability of Government to devote time and resources to this."The prospect of a No Deal coming on top of the coronavirus disruption could tip many businesses over the edge and would devastate our manufacturing sector.">>https://www.ex press.co.uk/news/politics/1288279/brexit-news-uk-eu-trade-deal-latest-brexit-transition-period-boris-johnson-barnier-frost

UK Trade Policy Observatory. Prof. L. Alan Winters, Mattia Di Ubaldo, Palitha Konara.

27/05/2020 (L. Alan Winters CB is Professor of Economics and Director of the UK Trade Policy Observatory (UKTPO). Mattia Di Ubaldo is a Research Fellow in the Economics of European Trade Policies, and Palitha Konara is a Senior Lecturer in International Business at the University of Sussex. Both are Fellows of the UKTPO.)<<COVID-19 will reinforce the Brexit shock. “COVID-19 and Brexit may appear as independent shocks but, in fact, they are interrelated. First, as the UKTPO and many others have argued, because COVID has disrupted the preparation for

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and conduct of negotiations on the future UK-EU trading arrangements, the UK government should ask for an extension to the transition period. This would allow the UK and EU to work out details of mutual cooperation that will be beneficial on both sides of the channel.Second, COVID and Brexit, in either its ‘No deal’ or its FTA form, are linked in a more direct and more harmful way – company debt. COVID is creating a mountain of debt and this will make the already difficult job of adjusting to Brexit more difficult.”https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/uktpo/2020/05/27/covid-19-will-reinforce-the-brexit-shock/

Rachel Sylvester, The Times / Best forBritain

01/06/2020 Rachel Sylvester, The Times / Best for Britain. <<Red Wall Tories won’t forgive a no-deal Brexit.Former Labour voters in the north and Midlands say the transition period should be extended to avoid economic harm.“Focus group research conducted last month for Best for Britain in the red wall seats showed that people’s priorities appear to have changed as a result of Covid-19. When voters in WarringtonSouth were asked whether they thought the government should request an extension so they could concentrate on the pandemic, a 53-year-old man replied: “One million per cent. Everyone’s focus is on health and safety. One good thing about coronavirus is that we stop talking about bloody Brexit.” A 59-year-old woman in Bury South agreed that: “people’s health is so much more important than Brexit” while in Don Valley one voter suggested it would be “selfish” for the new Tory MP there to oppose extending the transition period. “It’s then taking the focus off something that is killing people,” they said. “The health of the country has got to come first, the state of the NHS and the economy. . . it’s no good pumping resources into Brexit when it’s needed elsewhere.(…)What is more, the Tories’ new supporters in red wall seats would be among the worst affected. Already the industrial heartlands are at the sharp end of a surge in job losses, with workers being made redundant in large numbers and vacancies shrinking as a result of the lockdown. A report by the Social Market Foundation, published at the weekend, warned of the “severe economic disruption” that would face the northwest and the Midlands if the Covid-19 crisis was compounded by a no-deal Brexit. The imposition of tariffs could force up the cost of living, which would have a disproportionate impact on the lowest paid. ”>>

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/red-wall-tories-won-t-forgive-a-no-deal-brexit-spgdmt5pq

Nick Cohen 01/06/2020 Nick Cohen, The Spectator. <<The lethal combination of Brexit and Covid

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“The combination of Covid-19 and Brexit is a double whammy. The first was a haymaker that hit Britain from nowhere. The follow up will come when Britain, quite deliberately and with malice aforethought, winds up its fist and punches itself in the face. The economic impact of the virus will be accentuated by the UK leaving the EU without a deal or with a meagre free-trade agreement, warns a grim report, sponsored by the Best for Britain think tank.(….)The authors put it like this: ‘With public debt spiralling, the Government is boxing itself into a fiscal corner unless it extends the transition period and secures a trade deal at the end of the ongoing negotiations.’Objectively, the recommendation makes sense. If Boris Johnson were to appear at a press conference and announce that he was asking the EU for an extension to the trade talks because of the pandemic, the majority of the public would understand. The country, people would reason, had enough to cope with already without adding to its troubles.”>>https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-lethal-combination-of-brexit-and-covid

Full Fact 04/06/2020 <<Cla im that extending the Brexit transition period could cost £380 billion is not credible.ClaimIt will cost the UK £378 billion to extend the transition period between the UK and the EU.ConclusionThis estimate is based on a one-sided analysis which doesn’t seem to factor in any economic benefit of retaining free trade with the EU during the transition period. Most studies suggest these benefits outweigh potential gains from trade agreements and deregulation after the transition period ends.(…)A report published recently by the Centre for Brexit Policy (CBP) warned that the public did not want to see an extension, and that it could cost £378 billion.Neither of these claims is based on credible evidence. The report presents a one-sided viewpoint on the costs of transition, and most studies into the economic impacts of Brexit show leaving the customs union and single market will mean the UK economy is smaller compared to remaining.(...)There’s no evidence that a majority of people oppose a transition extension(…)The economic analysis is unbalanced and not aligned with other estimates.>>

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https://fullfact.org/europe/brexit-transition-period-economic-cost-public-opinion/

Reuters 04/06/2020 Sterling to take a pasting if UK seeks no extension for EU trade talks - Reuters pollSterling will lose recent gains against the dollar and weaken further if Britain does not ask for an extension to its Brexit transition period by a June 30 deadline to allow more time for talks on a trade deal with the EU, a Reuters poll found. “The fading prospect of an extension to the post-Brexit transition period, and the risk of supply chain disruption at the start of 2021, casts a cloud over (Britain’s) GBP outlook,” said James Smith at ING. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-forex-poll-sterling/sterling-to-take-a-pasting-if-uk-seeks-no-extension-for-eu-trade-talks-reuters-poll -idUSKBN23B04C

Amber Khan, Young Fabians

31/05/2020 Amber Khan IN LIGHT OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS, BREXIT MUST BE DELAYED“It will be politically difficult for Johnson to deviate from the Brexit hymn sheet, as a delay may be untenable for large swathes of his core base of supporters. But a Brexit delay does not have to undermine our negotiating position with Brussels nor is it a vehicle to simply ‘cancel’ Brexit. A delay would instead be a prudent act that ensures when the UK does leave Europe, it does so on favourable terms and at a time that will maximise our chances of a successful exit.”http://www.youngfabians.org.uk/in_light_of_covid_19_brexit_must_be_delayed

Peter Donaghy (Salmon of Data)

06/06/2020 Northern Ireland is about to learn the cost of liesPeter Donaghy (Salmon of Data) <<The disgraceful refusal of the British government to agree an extension of the transition period, combined with its callous disregard towards businesses and consumers in Northern Ireland, has now raised the very real risk of food shortages and price rises in the middle of winter during a possible peak of new infections during a global pandemic. >>https://sluggerotoole.com/2020/06/06/northern-ire land-i-about-to-learn-the-cost-of-lies-covid

UK in a Changing Europe

09/06/2020 <<UK in a Changing Europe. The Brexit Negotiations: A St ocktake, “Extension is needed to ensure a comprehensive UK-EU deal, new academic report finds.It is hard to see how the sort of comprehensive deal the UK and EU say they want can be agreed without an extension, a new report by academic think tank UK in a Changing Europe finds.Professor Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe, said: “It is little surprise the talks last week did not make any real progress.

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“If the Government sticks to its guns and refuses to ask for an extension to transition, it is hard to see either how a deal can be agreed, or how the necessary preparations for either deal or no deal can be carried out by either the government or businesses”.Professor Jonathan Portes, senior fellow, UK in a Changing Europe, said: “Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit are major shocks for the UK economy. The interaction of the two is complex and unpredictable, with the potential to amplify some impacts while moderating others.“On balance, the pandemic probably does make the economic risks of exiting transition on January 2021 without a trade deal larger, but considerable uncertainties remain.”Professor Catherine Barnard, senior fellow, UK in a Changing Europe, said “The Withdrawal Agreement provides a legally simple route to extension of the transition period. If that route is not taken, there is serious legal trouble ahead if both sides decide they need more time.” https://ukan deu.ac.uk/extension-is-needed-to-ensure-a-comprehensive-uk-eu-deal-new-academic-report-finds/ https://ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-B rexit-Negotiations-A-Stocktake-1.pdf https://www.verdict.co.uk/brexit-deal-extension/

Jessica Simor QC 08/06/2020 Tweet: <<There is a connection between the disastrous approach to Covid19 in the UK and the Brexit issue. The connection is the people - the same people made and are making the policy decisions. We must extend transition now - in reality only three weeks left. #extendtransition>> https://twitter.com/JMPSimor/status/1267451907867639809

Institute of Government/ EUobserver

25/05/2020 EUobserver: By Andrew Rettman. <<EU and UK stum bling into Irish border crisisThe looming collapse of the Irish border deal, threatening security, is the elephant in the room in Brexit talks, a top UK think-tank has warned."Against the background of a global pandemic, it is very difficult to see how preparations to implement the (Irish) protocol can be completed before the end of the year," the Institute for Government said in a report on Saturday (23 May).>>https://euobserver.com/brexit/148439Institute for Government<<Implementing Brexit. The Northern Ireland protocol by Jess Sargeant, Alex Stojanovic, Haydon Etherington and James Kane “The UK’s decision to leave the EU posed unique challenges for Northern Ireland. As the only part of the country to have a land border with a remaining member state and with a troubled history of violent conflict, changes to the UK–EU relationship would present particular problems

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for Northern Ireland.This report looks at the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol. It outlines what it says, how it might work and the challenges of ensuring it is operational before the end of the transition period.It also looks at the long-term consequences of applying future EU law in Northern Ireland and for politics and policy making in the whole of the UK” “Against the background of a global pandemic, it is very difficult to see how preparations to implement the protocol can be completed before the end of the year – given the scale of both the decisions and practical work still required. The UK and the EU should extend the transition period or agree a separate longer implementation period for the Withdrawal Agreement. ”>>https://www.institute forgovernment.org.uk/publications/implementing-brexit-northern-ireland-protocol https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/implementing-brexit-northern-ireland-protocol.pdf

The Irish Times 20/05/2020 <<The Irish Times view on the EU-UK talks: trouble aheadLondon’s opposition to an extension of the Brexit transition period shows its approach is driven purely by ideology(….)Even without Covid-19, the sensible course would have been to apply the clause in the withdrawal treaty which allows for the transition period to be extended. That the UK government has set its face against this, despite the epidemic, shows that the priorities of Brexit continue to be driven by ideology, rather than practicalities and common sense. Running the risk of adding a Brexit economic shock to the enormous cost of the pandemic is ludicrous. (…)The tariff schedules published by London show the disruption to trade which not doing a deal would create. Irish agriculture and the food sector would be particularly exposed. The matters to be agreed also include the separate application of the Northern Ireland protocol, thedeal agreed late in the day to allow the UK to exit while avoiding the need for checks and controlsat the Irish Border. The application of this agreement was always going to be contentious and the publication by the UK of its view of how this should work confirms this. (…)This issue will be dealt with separately from the main Brexit trade talks, though the two are

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obviously linked. As ever, the problem in striking a deal is that Brexit is essentially an exercise in damage limitation. >>https://www.irishtimes .com/opinion/editorial/the-irish-times-view-on-the-eu-uk-talks-trouble-ahead-1.4258564

British Medical Journal - Martin McKee et al.

16/06/2020 <<Risks to health and the NHS in the post-Brexit era May C I van Schalkwyk, Holly Jarman, Tamara Hervey, Olivier J Wouters, Pepita Barlow, Martin McKee. Trade deals negotiated as the next part of the Brexit process will have big implications for healthcare, and we need greater transparency say May van Schalkwyk and colleagues. "Amid the covid-19 pandemic, the additional challenge of implementing large scale changes to UK trading arrangements is of great concern. Unsurprisingly, calls have been made for an extension to thetransition period and for US-UK trade negotiations to be delayed [….] The UK will be undergreat pressure to agree a trade deal that favours corporate interests, and especially those of the pharmaceutical industry, over public health ">>https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/ 369/bmj.m2307.full.pdf

Greener UK 03/06/20 <<Greener UK online event: should we extend the transition period for the sake of the environment?GreenAllianceUKOn 3rd June 2020, we hosted a webinar reflecting on the current state of EU negotiations and discussed what needs be done before the end of the transition period to ensure the environment remains protected.Chair: · Shaun Spiers, chair, Greener UK Panellists: · Jill Rutter, senior research fellow, UK in a Changing Europe · David Baldock, senior fellow, Institute for European Environmental Policy · Maria Lee, professor of law, University College London Did you know Green Alliance has a podcast? https://greenalliancepodcast.simpleca... #GAevent #GreenerUKevent #EUnegotiations #Environment https://www.green-alliance.org.uk/ https://greeneruk.org/ >>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCzMTdI2Vk0

Anton Spisak, TonyBlair Institute for Global Change

18/06/2020 <<The UK’s No-Extension GambleBy Anton Spisak, Tony Blair Institute for Global ChangeNot all options for extending the transition period are closedThis week, Boris Johnson, UK prime minister, has formally told EU leaders that the UK won’t ask

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for an extension to the transition period. He said that the UK will leave the Brexit transition period“whatever happens” – a deal or no deal – at the end of this year. But there are good reasons to think that this might not be the UK's final word on the extension just yet. [….]Boris Johnson will undoubtedly insist that his decision against the extension is final. But the prime minister and his advisors would be best off keeping all the options in his back pocket. It is far from certain that, if it really came to it, his voters would support no-deal in the midst of a recession. Nor is it clear that his gamble will actually deliver a deal. >>https://institute.global/policy/uks-no-extension-gamble

European Policy Centre (18 authors)

21/06/2020 <<Towards an ambitious, broad, deep and flexible EU-UK partnership? European Policy Centre, June 2020The case for extending the transition period in light of COVID-19 [Jannike Wachowiak – Junior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre Dr Fabian Zuleeg – Chief Executive and Chief Economist, European Policy Centre]There is an urgent case for extending the transition period. The time to do so is, however, running out. Under the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement, an extension of either one or twoyears must be agreed before 1 July 2020. Even before COVID-19 struck Europe, the UK’s decision to negotiate the future relationship within 10 months presented an immense challenge for the negotiating teams. Now, by insisting on this timeline despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic, the UK has increased the likelihood of a no-deal outcome. On the political level, there is little bandwidth to focus on the Brexit negotiations. With attention elsewhere, it is very difficult to achieve any substantive progress in the politically sensitive areas –such as fisheries, governance, the level playing field – where compromises will be necessary to strike a deal. In addition to struggling with the fallout from COVID-19, businesses are asked to prepare for the effects of Brexit (e.g. new migration rules, see Chapter 11; border controls; disruptions to supply chains). This must be done without much knowledge on what exactly the new rules will be, or whether there will even be a deal. Most importantly, COVID-19 has changed the broader context in which the UK will leave the transition phase. The UK is exiting the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union amidst a global economic crisis. The UK economy will experience an unprecedented economic downturn, with forecasts predicting its worst recession in 300 years. The shock of a ‘hard Brexit’, no matter its actual scale, will exacerbate the economic situation further and

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reinforce disruptions. Extending the transition period by either one or two years could prevent such an accumulation of economic shocks. The UK government’s red lines in the negotiations, paired with its adamant refusal to even contemplate an extension, increase the likelihood of not concluding a deal at all. The question of how the UK will leave the transition period – with or without a deal, in good or bad faith – has wider implications for the long-term partnership between the EU and UK.>>https://wms.flexious.be/editor/plugins/imagemanager/content/2140/PDF/2020/Towards_an_ambitious__broad__deep_and_flexible_EU-UK_partnership_WEB.pdf

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4. Campaigns, polls and petitions.

Mark Lazarowicz, The European Movement in Scotland

22/05/2020 Mark Lazarowicz, Chair, The European Movement in Scotland, former Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith from 2001 to 2015.“There is no need for this damaging double whammy. Polling points to the fact that 77 per cent of British people (83 per cent of those in Scotland) want a breathing space. They want the UK to ask for an extension to the transition period – but the UK Government continues to rush towards the cliff edge.At the very least we deserve this folly to be debated in Parliament.. A public debate is vital, ensuring that the Opposition can challenge this situation, exposing it for what it is and the damage it will inevitably lead to.” https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/letters/uk-must-ask-eu-brexit-extension-letters-2861198

Opinion polls: https://whatukthinks.org/

20/05/2020 https://whatukthink s.org/eu/questions/to-what-extent-would-you-support-or-oppose-an-extension-to-the-end-of-the-transition-period-beyond-december-31-this-year/https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/should-the-transition-period-be- extended-because-of-the-covid-19-outbreak-or-not-be-extended-despite-the-covid-19-outbreak/https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/do-you-think-the-transition-period-should-be-extended-to-allow-more-time-for-trade-negotiations-or-should-it-end-as-planned-on-31st -december/https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/would-you-support-or-oppose-extending- the-brexit-transition-period/https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/would-you-support-or-oppose-extending-the-brexit-transition-period-because-of-the-coronavirus-outbreak/Polls overview and commentary by John Curtice: https://whatukthinks.org/eu/another-look-at-attitudes-towards-extending-the-transition/

Opinion Poll March 29, 2020 by Focaldata for Best for Britain and HOPE not hate

29/03/2020 “Two-thirds of Brits (64%) said they agreed with the statement ‘The government should request an extension to the transition period in order to focus properly on the Coronavirus’, whereas a third (36%) agreed with the statement ‘The Brexit transition period must end on 31 December whether a deal has been fixed or not’.While this was broken down into predictable support from those who voted for Labour (84%) and the Lib Dems (83%) at the last election, the first statement was also supported by nearly half of those who voted Conservative (44%) and a fifth of Brexit Party voters (19%).”https://www.bestforbritain.org/poll_brits_want_brexit_tran sition_extension

Opinion Poll April 20, 2020 by

20/04/2020 “The survey of over 2,000 people found that 66 per cent of the public believe the UK government ‘should focus 100% of its energy on dealing with coronavirus for the rest of the year’, including nearly half of Conservative

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Focaldata for Best for Britain and HOPE not hate

and Leave voters. Of those who support an extension, 64 per cent want the transition period to be extended ‘indefinitely until the crisis is resolved’.”“Our new poll, commissioned alongside our partners at HOPE not hate, finds that the general public overwhelmingly support extending the transition period. Two-thirds of respondents said they thought the government ‘should focus 100% of its energy on dealing with Coronavirus for the rest of the year’, whereas onlya third (34%) thought the UK government could ‘balance dealing with the Coronavirus outbreak whilst also giving necessary time to negotiate a full trade deal with the EU before the end of the year.’ There was agreement among all age groups and UK regions. Of those who supported an extension, 64 per cent wanted the transition period to be extended ‘indefinitely until the crisis is resolved’, whereas 36 per cent wanted the transition period to be extended ‘for a maximum of a year.’While some have speculated that the government’s position on extension owes to a fear it will be punished for failing to deliver on its manifesto pledge not to delay Brexit, our data suggests this is not the case.

With some high-profile Brexit supporters conceding the need for an extension, our data indicates that the government has support for extending the transition period among small ‘c’ conservative voters.

48% of Conservative voters45% of Brexit Party voters49% of Leave voters

Of those who supported an extension there was strong support for a longer extension:44% of Conservative voters27% of Brexit Party voters43% of Leave voters”

20/04/2020https://www.bestforbr itain.org/poll-long-transition-extension

Best for Britain 28/04/202003/04/2020

REPORT: Getting the Best Deal for BritainThe Case and Mechanism for Extending Transition in the Time of Covid-19 https://www.bestforbritain.org/report-extend-transition Petition: https://www.bestforbritain.org/transition-coronavirus“Boris Johnson will be forced to extend the transition period in order to focus on the coronavirus outbreak engulfing government, business leaders have today claimed.” https://www.bestforbritain.or g/pm_will_be_forced_to_extend_transition_claim_business_leaders

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Naomi Smith (Best for Britain)

17/05/2020 Naomi Smith. CEO, Best for Britain. “Voters overwhelmingly want to leave the EU with a comprehensive Brexit deal, something this Government promised as part of its manifesto. "The transition period was designed togive us time to secure that trade deal and make preparations for it to come into effect. "That time has already been decimated by coronavirus. And with fears of a possible second wave of infections around the corner, it would be prudent to plan for the worst and hope for the best. "We urge the Government to reclaim the time stolenby coronavirus by extending the transition period.”https://www.bestforbritain.org/new-poll-public-expect-to-avoid-no-deal

Opinion Poll May 17, 2020 by Focaldata for Best for Britain and HOPE not hate

17/05/2020 "Three-quarters of those asked said they would prefer that “A UK-EU trade deal comes into force after the transition period”, as opposed to “The UK exits with no EU trade deal”. This includes 64 per cent of Conservative voters and 57 per cent of Leave voters, and is strongly supported across all age groups and UK regions.And with the crisis threatening a second wave of infections as nations around the world begin easing their lockdown restrictions, a majority of the public (59%) now expect the transition period to be extended in order for the Government to fulfil their promise to deliver that trade deal....The poll found that 42% of Conservative and Leave voters now expect the transition period to be extended.” https://www.bestforbritain.org/new-poll-public-expect-to-avoid-no-deal

Labour for a European Future

08/05/2020 “PETITION: EXTEND BREXIT TRANSITION PERIOD DUE TO CORONAVIRUSWe don't have time to negotiate Brexit and deal with Covid19. Sign our petition to call on the Government to extend the transition period so we can deal with the virus now, and negotiate Brexit later. ”

https://www.laboureurope anfuture.org/latest/petition-covid https://www.laboureuropeanfuture.org/extendbrexittransitionperiodnow

Labour for a Socialist Europe

20/04/2020 <<Public demand for Brexit delay strengthensIt’s only seven weeks until the current deadline for the government to demand an extension (30 June)! Labour must start fighting for this now. If you’re a Labour member or trade unionist, please add your name to this call for our party and movement to speak out. >>https://labourforasocialisteurope.org/category/news/resources/ <<Richard Corbett (pictured above right) was the last leader of the Labour group in the European Parliament. Heexplains why he’s backing our call for Labour to fight to extend the Brexit transition. You can also add your name to the call here.“The Government’s intention to ignore the Coronavirus crisis in order to complete trade negotiations and force a new UK-EU treaty through this autumn, ending the Brexit transition period in eight months’ time, should alarm

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people on both sides of the Brexit debate.“Such a reckless and myopic ideological approach to what everyone knows are complex negotiations could not come at a worse moment. There was already a strong argument to be made for a longer timetable but, at a time when we should all be working together to fight this terrible virus, the case to extend the transition has surely become overwhelming. We cannot let this government’s ideology take precedence over saving lives.”>>https://labourforasocialisteurope.org/2020/04/20/richard-corbett-on-why -he-backs-the-fight-to-pause-brexit/ Petition:”Covid can't wait, Brexit can - extend the Brexit transition period” https://actionnetwork.o rg/petitions/covid-cant-wait-brexit-can-extend-the- brexit-transition-period/

Lord Heseltine/ European Movement

17/05/2020 "We must extend the Brexit trade negotiations – it is unforgivable to add more uncertainty on top of Covid-19”

https://www.europeanmovement.co.uk/heseltine_we_must_extend_t he_transiti on_period https://www. independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-trade-negotiations-delay-extension-coronavirus-eu-a9519016.html Petition: https://www.europeanmovement.co.uk/delaybrexit4covid19

Petition to Parliament

10/03/2020 "Extend the transition; delay negotiations until after the coronavirus outbreakThe government should consider delaying negotiations so they can concentrate on the coronavirus situation and reduce travel of both EU and UK negotiators. This would necessitate extending the transition period; as there canonly be a one off extension, this should be for two years.”Https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/300412

450 Labour members, including former European Labour leader Richard Corbett, plus ex-MEPs Seb Dance, Theresa Griffin, Julie Wardand Jude Kirton-Darling.

12/05/2020 LabourList, Open letter. “As Labour members, activists and supporters and trade unionists, we are calling for our party and unions to push for a major extension to the Brexit transition period.” https://labourlist.org/2020/05/ex-labour-meps-tell-starm er-to-push-for-brexit-transition-extension/

LabourList readerssurvey

10/05/2020 “Britain is currently in a Brexit transition period that is due to end in December. Do you think Labour should callon the government to extend it?” Yes 75.6% No 17.1% Don't know 7.3% https://labourlist.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Frame-5.jpg

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Trade Justice Movement

08/04/2020 "Coronavirus is enough to deal with - We must extend the post-Brexit transition to get our EU-UK relationship right”

https://www.tjm.org.uk/blog/2020/five-reasons-why-we-must-extend- the-post- brexit-transition-period-to-cope-with-coronavirus

Volt.UK 27/05/2020 <<Barnier is to offer a 2 year to delay to the UK's Brexit negotiations. Considering the state of this year, it is clear that there is no possible deal that can be agreed by Christmas that would be good. We urge the Government to accept the olive branch. #brexit >>https://twitter.com/UkVolt/status/1265662192583618561

Stephen Dorrell,European Movement

Stephen Dorrell, campaign video tweet. “Extend the transition. Focus on COVID-19.” https://twitter.com/euromove/status/1267429437693255683

Swindon for Europe (via Swindon Adverstiser)

09/06/2020 <<Brexit negotiations: Group urges government to consider extension as deadline loomsA Swindon group is urging the government to extend the Brexit transition period as the June 30 deadline looms.Swindon for Europe members fear a no deal Brexit could cause chaos and inflict serious damage on the British economy.Steve Rouse said: “People are worried about the damage to jobs and livelihoods the perfect storm that no deal and the pandemic could bring.“Swindon, with its reliance on manufacturing and finance industries is already extremely vulnerable to the effects of Brexit.“Achieving a trade deal was always going to be ambitious within an eleven-month transition period but doing so in the midst of a worldwide pandemic injects massive challenge to the task. Many parliamentarians of all parties voted against a no-deal Brexit last year and right now our government should not create chaos but avoid it.”Britain can request an extension of up to two years, if agreed by both parties. The group has asked the by78update its Swindon Brexit report, assessing the risk and identifying the threats and opportunities in various areas including the town’s economy and workforce.>> https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/18504623.brexit-negotiations-group-urges-government-consider-extension-deadline-approaches/

Yorkshire Bylines 08/06/2020 <<Yorkshire campaign groups call on MPs to extend Brexit transition. The chairs of 13 pro-European campaign groups from across Yorkshire have written to our region’s MPs to call for the Brexit transition period to be extended.

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In their open letter to the Yorkshire MPs, the groups stress that this is, “not an attempt to thwart Brexit. We simply want to avoid creating a cliff edge that risks shortages of both food and medicines as well as further increasing unemployment when as a nation we will be fighting for every job.”They have joined a growing number of businesses, trade bodies and national organisations in making this urgent request, including over 50 civil society organ isations. The deadline to agree an extension to the transition period is 1 July, just over three weeks away. Last week it became clear that no progress has been made in the negotiations with the EU, and Boris Johnson is now rolling back on the commitments he made in the the politicaldeclaration that the UK and 27 other EU member states signed in October 2019

Richard Wilson, vice-chair of the European Movement UK and chair of Leeds for Europe said:

“Meeting the shortened deadline for completing the UK’s exit from the European Union was always going to be a challenge, but the havoc wreaked by Covid-19 has made the mammoth task of renegotiating hundreds of expiring agreements between the UK and the EU an intolerable distraction at a time of national crisis when the attention of UK and European governments is, quite rightly, focused on tackling the pandemic.“There simply isn’t sufficient time for businesses, government and citizens to prepare for another shock to the system in less than seven months’ time. An extension to the Brexit transition is the only sensible course of action.”>> https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/yorkshire-campaign-groups-call- on-mps-to-extend-brexit-transition/

Louise Brown, The Northern Echo.

08/06/2020 The Northern Echo. <<Letters: 'It is utter madness not to extend Brexit'As someone who grew up around the corner from the Nissan factory, I know just how important it is to the region.With the news that the plant is not sustainable in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it beggars belief that this Government is not going to ask for an extension to the transition period.This increases the risk of a no-deal Brexit and thus Nissan leaving our region, taking its 7,000 jobs with it (and thousands more if you include the supply chain).Whichever way you voted in the EU referendum, it was probably not for this scenario.In the middle of a pandemic, it is utter madness not to extend to prevent such a no-deal scenario.The North-East is currently the worst affected by Covid-19 and will soon be the worst affected by a no-deal Brexit too. Please let us not revisit our economic disaster of the pit-closure past and extend the transition period to save the region from ruin.

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Louise Brown, Gateshead>>https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/opinion/letters/18503297.letters-it-utter-ma dness-not-extend-brexit/

Louise Brown (group of concerned residents, Sunderland)

11/06/2020 <<Protestors at Sunderland's Nissan plant call for Brexit extension By Gavin EngelbrechtA group of concerned residents are mounting a protest outside the Nissan's Sunderland plant urging the Government to extend the Brexit transition period.The demonstrators, who complied with Covid-19 and confined themselves to six people social distancing, came out after a warning from Nissan that the Sunderland plant would be "unsustainable" without a trade deal.Campaigner Louise Brown said: "We are a group of local concerned residents who are got a horrible shock when Nissan said last the plant would not be sustainable in the event of a no deal Brexit. We are calling on the Government to extend the Brexit transition period."As someone who grew up around the corner from the Nissan factory, I know just how important it is economically to the region."I find it unfathomable why the Government are refusing to extend the transition period."She added: "This is going to increase the risk of a No Deal Brexit as we know. And with Nissan having said themselves they are not going to be sustainable in the region in in the event of a no-deal Brexit, I just don't know what the Government are playing at."There will be a loss of around 7,000 jobs. Whatever you voted in the referendum you did not vote for this. It is specially mad because we are in the middle of a pandemic and it's bound to effect the EU talks on the deal."The North-East is already the worst affected by the Covid-19 and will be the worst affected by a no deal Brexit."Please let us not revisit our pit closure past and the economic disaster that happened there. Please extend the transition period to save this region from ruin."Ms Brown said, becauses of coronavirus restrictions, only six people were attending, but there were many more who wanted to be there.The protest follows comments from Nissan's global chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta that the car giant would not be able to stand by its commitment to the Sunderland plant if the UK left the European Union without a trade deal that enabled tariff-free EU access.He warned: "If we are not getting the current tariffs, it's not our intention but the business will not be sustainable.">>https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/18510929.protestors-sunderlands-nissan-plant-call-brexit-extension/

Louise Brown, Sunderland

10/06/2020 <<Nissan protest planned as no-deal Brexit fears continue to grow. By Ian JohnsonIt follows a warning that the site would be "unsustainable" without a deal in placeA protest to urge the Government to extend the Brexit transition period will be held outside the Nissan factory.

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It follows a warning from Nissan that the Sunderland plant would be "unsustainable" without a trade deal.When Britain left the EU in January, it entered into the transition period, which ends on December 31.It allows the UK to continue its current relationship with the EU while negotiating aspects such as trade deals and security.The transition period can be extended by two years, although any extension must be signed off by July 1.Some, like Louise Brown, fear that would lead to a no-deal Brexit.She's the spokesperson for Thursday's protest, and believes that would immensely damage the region's economy.As someone who grew up around the corner from the Nissan factory, I know just how important it is to the region," she said."With the news that the plant is not sustainable in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it beggars belief that this government are not going to ask for an extension to the transition period.This increases the risk of a no-deal Brexit and thus Nissan leaving our region, taking its 7,000 jobs with it."Over 60% of people in Sunderland voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.However Louise added: "Whichever way you voted in the EU referendum, it was probably not for this scenario."In the middle of a pandemic, it is utter madness not to extend to prevent such a no-deal scenario.">>https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor th-east-news/nissan-protest-planned-no-deal-18391987

Richard Wilson, Leeds for Europe

10/06/2020 << LETTERS. Richard Wilson, Chair, Leeds for Europe.‘Brexit talks are going even worse than pandemic’I was initially perplexed by AJA Smith’s letter (‘Nissan’s decision is a vote of confidence in Brexit Britain’, The Yorkshire Post, June 5).It was published only a day after a great deal of coverage of fresh doubts about the future of Nissan’s Sunderlandplant. In fairness, the letter was probably written before Nissan’s CEO said it could not stand by its commitment to Sunderland if the UK cannot secure tariff-free access to the European Union.If there is one thing this Government has handled more poorly than its virus response, and the Dominic Cummings affair, then it is the EU transition talks.There is now a very real risk that Britain will crash out of the EU without a deal at the end of this year.The Government must soon decide – by the end of this month, in fact – whether to instead pause Brexit and accept Brussels’ offer of a two-year extension to the talks.Nissan workers in Sunderland would be among many who would welcome such an extension, I should imagine.>>https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/brexit-talks-are-going-even-worse-pandemic-yorkshire-post-letters-2879306#gsc.tab=0

Wales for Europe 13/06/2020 Statement: We still need to extend the transition period and avoiding ‘no deal’ is not good enough

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<<Wales for Europe deeply regrets that the UK Government is putting ideology ahead of the national interest and the country’s health in refusing to seek an extension to the transition period while we fight the Covid-19 crisis.We call on the government to reconsider before the 30thJune deadline. This is the only responsible action for anyUK government to take in the light of the Covid-19 crisis.We also call on the people of Wales who are concerned about their future – from politicians to pensioners, students to small business owners, farmers to families – to speak up against a rushed deal that is not in our social or economic interest.(.....)The First Ministers of Wales and Scotland, Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon, in a joint letterto the Prime Minister on 12th June have stated that, in the current circumstances, “exiting thetransition period at the end of the year would be extraordinarily reckless”.We agree. There is too much at stake. It is unacceptable that the UK Government should have dismissed their request out of hand.Boris Johnson’s government could choose to gain more time. It could choose to do better by the people of the UK. It is refusing to do so.(...)>>https://www.walesforeurope.org/articles/statement-13-06-2020/

Jennifer Dixon, Health Foundation and Ipsos Mori

13/06/2020 <<Majority of Britons back Brexit extension to help beat coronavirusA no-deal Brexit later this year during winter and amid coronavirus would be ‘a vicious, and avoidable, combination of risks’ says by Shaun Lintern

More than half of Britons now support an extension to the Brexit transition period this year with this rising to two-thirds of people when potential shortages of medical supplies are factored in.New research by the Health Foundation and Ipsos Mori suggests the coronavirus outbreak has reshaped views of the EU and Britain’s link with the continent with a clear majority of the public supporting closer working withthe EU to tackle the virus.A representative study involving 1,983 people at the start of May found 95 per cent of the UK support closer working with the EU.

As part of a wider survey of people’s experiences during the outbreak, 77 per cent said the UK should work “very closely” with the EU on Covid-19 responses with another 17 per cent saying it should work “fairly closely” with the EU. (…)

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Of those surveyed by Ipsos Mori, almost all of those who voted Remain in the EU Referendum (99 per cent) supported working closely with the EU to combat the pandemic, and over nine in ten (91per cen) of those who voted Leave also supported closer collaboration.Using two sample groups Ipsos Mori found 54 per cent of people said the government should request a Brexit extension beyond 31 December.A second group were given information that was in line with government estimates about potential delays to the supply of medicines and medical devices in the event of a no-deal. In total 65 per cent, two thirds, believed there should be an extension, 31 per cent said no.Young people, aged 18 to 24, were far more likely to support an extension.The Health Foundation warned a no-deal Brexit later this year would damage health and social care services.Jennifer Dixon, chief executive, said: “Covid-19 has put the government, the economy, the NHS and social careunder intense pressure.“This winter a no-deal Brexit could exacerbate already acute shortages in the NHS and social care workforce andcreate new avoidable shortages of medicines and vital supplies. This would come at the same time as the health service is facing significant pressures from seasonal flu, supporting people recovering from Covid-19, tackling the large backlog of patients who didn’t receive care during lockdown, and potentially coping with another wave of infection from the coronavirus.“This would be a vicious, and avoidable, combination of risks.”She added: “The public understandably prefer protection from risks that can be anticipated and avoided. This research suggests the public clearly prioritise the management of the coronavirus pandemic, and collaboration with the EU.”The survey also found four fifths of Remain voters backed an extension to the transition while 66 per cent of Leave voters opposed an extension. Almost 40 per cent of Leave voters backed an extension once informed of the implications of a no deal scenario.There were also variations among voters at different educational levels with people with at least a degree more likely to say the government should request an extension compared with those only with GCSEs or equivalent.The survey was conducted by using a representative sample of people aged 18 and over between 1 and 10 May 2020.A total of 1,983 people were interviewed with quotas set on age, gender, region and working status and data weighted to be representative of the population.>>https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-brexit-extension-leave-eu-health-foundation-ipsos-mori-a9562511.html

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https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/13/more-than-half-of-british-people-support-brexit-transition-extension https://euobserver.com/ticke rs/148645

Stephen Dorrell, European Movement

12/06/2020 <<Stephen Dorrell: Decision Not To Seek Extension 'Reckless' Responding to Michael Gove’s confirmation today that the UK will not be asking for an extension to the Brexit transition period, European Movement Chair and Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell said: "In choosing not to extend the transition period, the government is choosing to put ideology before country. Just this morning, it was announced that Britain’s GDP shrank by 20.4% in April - the largest monthly drop on record. At a time when we are facing the biggest public health crisis in over a century and Coronavirus is alreadywreaking havoc on our economy, now is not the time for the government to recklessly flirt with a No-Deal Brexitthat will further endanger people’s livelihoods.">>https://www.europeanmovement.co.uk/stephen_dorrell_extension_reckless

European Movement Greater London

12/06/2020 <<European Movement Greater London Branch Chairs' Letter: The Government must extend the EU transition periodThe Government appears on course to crash us out of the EU negotiations at the end of this month.The resulting No Deal Brexit crisis will be on top of the catastrophic health, social and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Government’s own reports, a No Deal Brexit will lead to shortages of medicine and food, regulatory obstacles, bureaucratic delays and costly tariffs at borders, and a further 9.3% loss in GDP.The Government cannot deal with two major crises at once. It must focus on defeating the coronavirus pandemic, not compound it with an unnecessary Government-made crisis.

We, including all 21 European Movement branch chairs across London, urge every Londoner to contact their MP and assembly member to demand the Government focus on one crisis at a time, and to legislate for a two year extension to the EU transition period which would secure the best deal for Britain.Nick Hopkinson, European Movement regional representative for Greater LondonJo Pye, European Movement regional representative for Greater LondonAlex Goulds, Bromley4EuropeLily Oestreicher, Chipping Barnet 4 EuropeRichard Wassell, EM City (of London) and EastMaria Klos, Croydon for EuropeCorinne Firket, EM Ealing

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George Stevenson, Enfield for Europe;Rebecca Ireland, Greenwich for EuropeMike Vessey, EM Hammersmith Kensington Chelsea and FulhamMelinda Elson, EM HaringeyDavid Keys, EM Harrow and HillingdonJudith Palmer and Luisa Fulci, Islington in EuropeMargaret Lochrie, EM KingstonHeather Glass, Lambeth for EuropeGareth Steel and Nick Hill, Lewisham East for EuropeTony Lloyd, Lewisham is for EuropeRichard Newcombe, London4EuropeBrigid Gardner, South Southwark for EuropeAlan White, Streatham for EuropeRichard Newcombe, EM Waltham ForestBarbara Callender, EM Wandsworth and MertonBruce Dickson, West London Grassroots for Europehttps://www.london4europe.co.uk/the_government_must_extend_the_eu_transition_period >>

Richard Corbett 18/05/2020 <<While the country’s attention is elsewhere, Johnson tries to ditch his promises on Brexit by Richard Corbett.While the country is focused on the coronavirus crisis and its consequences, Johnson and his government are busy trying to rip up all the promises they made to get their Brexit deal through, hoping that they can get away with far-reaching choices that will have huge consequences for the country.While Brexit formally happened on 31 January, it was a ‘Blindfold Brexit’ – leaving the EU without settling on what will replace the myriad arrangements, laws and programmes that we were hitherto part of. Sorting that out was left for the post-Brexit transition period. During this period – which we are now in – the status quo applies, with Britain still subject to EU rights and obligations. But if there is no agreement by the end of the transition, currently set at the end of the year, then we will have the notorious no-deal Brexit. [...]The neo-liberal right of the Tory party was always opposed to any deal with the EU that keeps Britain aligned with European standards. The very reason they wanted Brexit in the first place was because the EU’s single market has rules to protect consumers, workers and the environment – protections that they want to escape from to have a Trump-style corporate free-for-all deregulated economy. They also want Britain to align economically and strategically with the USA rather than with our European neighbours.The one thing that previously held them back was the fear that they would be blamed for the economic fallout of

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a disorderly no-deal Brexit. Now, they reckon their big chance to get away with it is by doing it now, suddenly and brutally, with the costs, the job losses and the fall in living standards hidden among the effects of the coronavirus lockdown.It’s time to blow the whistle!>>https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/while-the -countrys-attention-is-elsewhere-johnson-tries-to-ditch-his-promises-on-brexit/

Richard Corbett 14/06/2020 <<Time to drop the silly shibbolethsRichard CorbettOne of the more ludicrous aspects of the ongoing standoff between the government and the EU is the announcement by Michael Gove that, for reasons of “national sovereignty”, it will not countenance the EU having an office in Northern Ireland. Yet, the USA has a fully fledged consulate in Northern Ireland. So do China, India, Poland and even St Vincent & the Grenadines. Why on earth should the EU be precluded?All the more so, as the Brexit deal agreed in January (by Johnson, his government and parliament) requires EU-UK cooperation on trade and customs matters pertaining to Northern Ireland. Gove says that the EU can make “technical visits”, but travel from outside each time to do so. This is silly and petty.[….]This is not a leave vs remain issue. We left on 31 January. It’s about our future relationship with our main tradingpartners, on which thousands of jobs depend. It’s about our security via continued police cooperation. It’s about participation in medical research programmes. It’s about transport links and much else.Now is the time for the government to put aside its shibboleths and admit that a good deal for Britain requires a lot more work than it has been able to do during the coronavirus crisis.>>https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/time-to-drop-the-silly-shibbol eths/

Julie Ward, Richard Corbett, Jude Kirton-Darling, Seb Dance, Theresa Griffin, John Howarth and others (567 signatures)

04/06/2020 <<Full list of signatories on call for Labour to fight to pause BrexitFor the statement / to sign, see here. 567 signatures as at 12:25 on 4 June; all in personal capacity unless stated otherwise:[List of signatures available here:https://labourforasocialisteurope.org/2020/06/03/full-list-of-signatories-on-call-for-labour-to-fight-to-pause-brexit/ ] >>Originally reported and posted with 450 signatures at https://labourlist.org/2020/05/ex-labour-meps-tell-starmer-to-push-for-brexit-transition-extension/ Extracts from the statement and covering texts:

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https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1x1HC9N5v5w8HvPCNhLkxXIEQ5XVktQVMIDqVop5JHNM/edit

West Wales Chronicle

31/03/2020 <<POLL: WALES WANTS BREXIT TRANSITION EXTENSIONTwo-thirds of people in the UK want the government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period in order to focus on the coronavirus outbreak, according to a new opinion poll.In Wales, 58 per cent said they wanted the government to request an extension.>>>>https://www.westwaleschronicle.co.uk/blog/2020/03/31/poll-wales-wants-brexit-transition-extens ion/

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John Maguire

Devon for Europe 17/06/20 Full page advert in Western Morning News, forthcoming: open letter to 27 MPs. (Ben Bradshaw: Geoffrey Cox; Steve Double; Richard Drax; George Eustice; Kevin Foster; Marcus Fysh; James Heappey; Simon Hoare; Simon Jupp; Ian Liddell-Grainger; Chris Loder; Cherilyn Mackrory; Anthony Mangnall; Scott Mann; Johnny Mercer; Anne-Marie Morris; Sheryll Murray; Neil Parish; Luke Pollard; Rebecca Pow; Jacob Rees-Mogg; Selaine Saxby; Sir Gary Streeter; Mel Stride; Derek Thomas; David Warburton.)

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<<‘Dear West Country MP, Brexit has happened - the UK left the EU on 31st January this year. The UK originally requested a Transition Period in order to negotiate our future relationship with the EU, avoid aNo Deal Brexit and to give businesses, public services and citizens time to adjust to the new environment. The Transition Period is due to end on 31st December 2020 without any of these crucial objectives having been met. To add to our problems, we have the Coronavirus crisis and its tragic impact on our lives and livelihoods to contend with. For many businesses, the prospect of handling the full impact of an as yet unspecified Brexit in a post-Coronavirus world, with any reserves they may have had seriously depleted, is a crisis too far. Farmers, food producers, the NHS, hauliers, manufacturers and a whole raft of other vital industries and public services are desperate for the Government to recognise that we can only deal with one crisis at a time. The stubborn refusal to extend the Transition Period is a political choice and one that puts us at grave risk of a catastrophic No Deal or Rush Deal Brexit simply because we have run out of time. Billions of pounds have beenspent propping up the economy during the Coronavirus crisis and the Government’s own figures show that Brexit itself comes with a heavy economic cost. Why damage the country further for the sake of meeting an arbitrary date? We urge you, our West Country MPs, to act in the best interests of your constituents and do everything in your power to secure a vital extension to the Transition Period by 30th June. This extension will give all of us time to recover, time to plan, time to adapt. For the sake of the UK, please extend the Transition Period. Yours sincerely, Devon for Europe >>

Best for Britain 16/06/2020 <<NEW MRP POLL: ‘Red wall’ voters prioritise EU over US cooperation on coronavirus and trade. 9 in 10 want EU trade deal at the end of transition.Voters in ‘red wall’ seats overwhelmingly think the UK should prioritise working with Europe over the United States on trade and coronavirus, according to a massive new opinion poll.Britain CEO Naomi Smith said:"The data is clear: so-called 'red wall' voters, particularly those who switched from Labour to Conservative in these key battleground seats during the last election, are ready to punish the government if it fails to fulfil its manifesto pledge to secure a trade deal with the EU."With the UK in recession, these voters are scared about a double whammy of coronavirus and a no-deal Brexit. That's understandable given the increase in bureaucracy that would still be required even despite the government backtracking on its desire to implement full border checks. "This feeling of economic vulnerability will only grow as we enter the final months of talks, meaning the pressure is on for the government to secure a trade deal by the end of the year or u-turn and extend the

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transition period."

Social Market Foundation reportThe Social Market Foundation (SMF) report was commissioned by non-partisan advocacy group Best for Britain. It examines, in the context of ‘U-shaped’ recovery from a coronavirus induced recession, the economic impact of both a new Free Trade Agreement and leaving the European Union without a trade deal. It seeks to provide an understanding of which sectors, regions and local areas in the UK will be most exposed to both supply-side shocks. Its main findings include:

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal in place on 31st December 2020, the manufacturing, banking, finance and insurance sectors would be severely exposed to a double economic hit from Brexit and coronavirus.

While London and the South of England would be highly exposed to the double economic hit caused by Brexit and coronavirus under an FTA, leaving the EU without a deal in place would create pockets of severe disruption across the country, and particularly in the North West and Midlands regions. 50% of local areas (NUTS3) in the North West are placed in Category 5 (the highest) and a further 40% in Category 4 for their exposure to a double economic hit based on the gross value added of sectors locally.

Analysis of local area impact based on employment shows there are 66 local areas in the most severe category of impact if the UK leaves the EU without a trade deal at the end of the year. One sixth of these areas have more than a third of their labour market working in either manufacturing or finance, banking and insurance etc. (the two industries most impacted). Four of the 66 areas have more than 100,000 jobs in these two industries.

The full report, ‘Assessing the economic implications of coronavirus and Brexit’, can be downloaded here . You can find a methodological note for the report here. A recording of Best for Britain's webinar to launch the report, including lead authors Kathryn Petrie and Sam Lowe from the Centre for European Reform, can be found here.>>https://www.bestforbritain.org/new_mrp_poll_red_wall_voters_prioritise_eu_over_us_cooperation_on_coronavirus_and_trade_9 _in_10_want_eu_trade_deal_at_the_end_of_transition

Joanna Minchin (Isle of Wight)

16/06/2020 <<Letter: Brexit transition period extension needed before we end up with No Deal BrexitThis reader believes the country is heading towards a No Deal Brexit and says the Government should extend the transition period in light of Coronavirus. This letter from Joanna Minchin. “I am perplexed as to why the Tory Government are not willing to extend the transition period for their discussions over Brexit? Surely it is in everyone’s interest to reach a deal?We are at a critical time for our country. While the Government is occupied with Covid-19, the end of the Brexit

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transition period is drawing nearer.There is now less than one month for the UK and the EU to agree an extension.If no agreement is reached, we risk a No Deal Brexit that would alter our economy, way of life, and NHS forever.We should tackle one problem at a time. We need to extend the transition period.”https://onthewight.com/letter-brexit-transition-period-extension-needed-before-we-end-up-with-no-deal-brexit/

Kim Sanderson (group of concerned residents, Gateshead)

19/06/20 <<Protest held at Angel of the North against no-deal Brexit after De La Rue blow by Sonia SharmaFollowing news that more than 250 jobs are at risk at De La Rue in Gateshead, campaigners are calling onthe Government to extend the Brexit transition periodA protest was held at the Angel of the North urging the Government to extend the Brexit transition period.The company announced plans to axe the site’s banknote and UK passport printing operations - two years after it lost the contract to print the new UK passports, having printed them for 10 years.In a controversial move, the Government assigned future printing of the new blue passports to Franco-Dutch firmGemalto - work that has since been outsourced to Poland.Unite the union, which represents the workforce at the factory,is urging the company to reconsider the move, which puts 255 skilled workers at risk of redundancy.On Friday, concerned residents arrived at the Angel of the North and displayed a number of placards and posters to get their message across.They highlighted fears about the potential for more job losses in the region and damage to the economy as a result of a no-deal Brexit. The group called for the Government to extend the transition period to stop a no-deal scenario.Spokesperson Kim Sanderson said that, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the North East would be the worst affected if the country left Europe without a deal and many businesses would not be able to prepare for it during the coronavirus crisis. She added: "The Government officially confirmed last week that they will not be seeking an extension to the transition period. This greatly increases the risk of a no-deal Brexit."Whichever way you voted in the EU referendum, it was not to lose your job or be worse off. In the middle of the Covid-19 outbreak, it would be much more sensible to extend to prevent such a no-deal scenario. Let us only deal with one crisis at a time."

Those who attended the protest said they were following social distancing rules at all times. A similar demonstration was held outside the Sunderland Nissan plant last week.>>https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/nissan-campaigners-gather-outside-sunderland-18401331

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James Bovington 18/06/2020 Refusing Brexit extension will come back to haunt Boris Johnson: Yorkshire Post LettersFrom: James Bovington, Church Grove, Horsforth, Leeds.<<So Boris Johnson and Dom[inic Cummings have decided that, despite the pandemic, Britain’s best interests are served by pushing on with Brexit so that the transition period will end at the end of this year.For all her many faults, Theresa May cared about what she repeatedly described as the ‘precious union’ of the various countries of the United Kingdom. Boris clearly couldn’t care less.Hence his decision not to request an extension to transition and his arrogantly short-sighted refusal to listen to the elected representatives of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish people, as voiced through their respective governments and parliaments, may well return to haunt the Conservative administration. [….]Scotland and Northern Ireland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU. All the polls suggested that leave-voting Wales changed its mind. I would like to see a new federal arrangement within the UK but don’t want passports at Penrith or customs at Carlisle. Like their leader the Conservatives seem no longer to care.However many people may care very much that self-imposed exile from our major allies means that we are unable to participate in the EU programme to fund the advance purchase of vaccines for coronavirus, and that leaving Euratom could complicate cancer treatment as the UK is withdrawing from an agreement facilitating the movement of isotopes.>>https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/refusing-brexit-extension-will-come-back-haunt-boris-johnson-yorkshire-post-letters-2887388

European Movement, South East Region

18/06/2020 <<South East Region Branch Chairs' Letter: The Government must extend the EU transition periodThe Government appears on course to crash us out of the EU negotiations at the end of this month.The resulting No Deal Brexit crisis will be on top of the catastrophic health, social and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Government’s own reports, a No Deal Brexit will lead to shortages of medicine and food, regulatory obstacles, bureaucratic delays and costly tariffs at borders, and a further 9.3% loss in GDP.The Government cannot deal with two major crises at once. It must focus on defeating the coronavirus pandemic,not compound it with an unnecessary Government-made crisis.We, European Movement branch chairs across the whole SE Region of the UK from Oxford to Kent, urge every citizen to contact their MP and County Councillor to demand the Government focus on one crisis at a time, and to legislate for a two year extension to the EU transition period which would secure the best deal for Britain.Signed:Peter Burke, Chair, Oxford For EuropeJonathan Buisson, Chair, North Hampshire for Europe

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Helen Gibbons, Chair, European Movement SussexE Stanley, Coordinator, MoVEM - Mole Valley European Movement LeatherheadJonathan Harris, Chair, East Kent EMJoanna Minchin, Chairman, Islanders for Europe, the Isle of Wight Branch of the European MovementIan Berridge, Chair, Hampshire European MovementIan Morris, Chair, Canterbury for EuropeDavid Rowan, Chair, Portsmouth and Chichester for EuropeJohn Gaskell, Chair, SW Surrey branch of European Movement[further signatures may be added shortly]>>

Cornwall for Europe

11/06/2020 CORNWALL FOR EUROPE SEND POWERFUL VIDEO LETTER TO MPS URGING EXTENSION TO BREXIT TRANSITION PERIODWith time rapidly running out for the UK government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period, and no sign of progress towards a trade deal, campaigning group Cornwall for Europe has sent a powerful video letter to Cornwall’s MPs urging them to ask Boris Johnson’s government to act before it is too late. The EU agreed the end of June as the deadline for an agreement on outline terms of Brexit but no progress has been madein talks, another casualty of Covid 19. The video includes heartfelt pleas from a range of people in Cornwall whose families, businesses and livelihoodswould be jeopardised by a “no deal” exit from Europe in December.[….....]“A report for Cornwall Council this week shows that as many as 72,800 jobs are at risk in Cornwall from the impact of the coronavirus. It is absolutely unbelievable that the government is now greatly increasing the likelihood of even more harm to people’s jobs and livelihoods by refusing to request an extension to the Brexit transition period. Negotiations are clearly not making progress, and the prospect of a hugely damaging no-deal atthe end of December is now very real indeed.

“MPs need to think about the consequences of this to their constituents, many of whom are already facing an extremely very grim outlook. If they put ideology above the well-being of people in Cornwall, they will never beforgiven.”

https://youtu.be/7pta8K55XBkhttps://cornw allforeurope.org/2020/06/11/cornwall-for-europe-send-powerful-video-letter-to-mps-urging-extension-to-brexit-transition-period/ >>

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Cornwall for Europe

11/06/2020 <<EXTEND THE BREXIT TRANSITION PERIODTime is running out for the government to request an extension to the Brexit transition period. The deadline to dothis is the end of June, and given the lack of progress in negotiations it now looks almost certain that the UK willbe out of the Single Market with no trading arrangement with the EU if no extension is requested. This would be catastrophic for many businesses that are already reeling from the impacts of the coronavirus. And it would also put a huge question mark over the rights of the many EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens in Europe, making their lives even more difficult than they are now.We want to send out a powerful message about what this would mean for people in Cornwall. To do this, we have joined together with pro-EU groups across the country to send a letter to Sir Keir Starmer and made an open ‘video letter’ consisting of short video clips of people talking about what no-deal would mean for them, their businesses and their families to send to Cornwall’s MPs.CORNWALL FOR EUROPE SEND POWERFUL VIDEO LETTER TO MPS URGING EXTENSION TO BREXIT TRANSITION PERIOD https://cornwallforeurope.org/2020/06/11/cornwall-for-europe-send-powerful-video-letter-to-mps-urging-extension-to-brexit-transition-period/LETTER TO SIR KEIR STARMER https://cornwallforeurope.org/letter-to-keir-starmer/ >>

Cornwall for Europe and 104 other local citizens' groups.

13/05/2020 <<LETTER TO SIR KEIR STARMERPUT PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT TO EXTEND THE BREXIT TRANSITION PERIODWe have written to Sir Keir Starmer, with representatives of more than a hundred other cross-party groups in the UK and several EU countries, together representing more than 375,000 members and active supporters. The text of the letter is below and we are adding names of signatories from other groups as we receive them.

Dear Sir Keir,We are writing to you as representatives of a number of cross-party groups that are extremely concerned about the government’s refusal to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period.At a time when we face unprecedented economic and social challenges as a result of the coronavirus, including the certainty of a deep economic recession and massive job losses, it is unconscionable that the government proposes to exacerbate this terrible situation by jeopardising our trading relationship with the world’s largest freetrade area.It’s clear that neither the UK government nor the European Union is currently able to devote adequate time or attention to the complex negotiations needed to secure a workable trade agreement. It thus looks very likely that the government’s artificially imposed deadline will lead to the hardest of Brexits on 31 December, with no

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agreement – or an inadequate one – in place.For many businesses that are already in extreme difficulty, from farms to manufacturers, this would mean bankruptcy and closure. For the UK and a whole, it would mean an even deeper recession, when the Bank of England is already predicting a 14% drop in GDP – worse than has been seen in 300 years.Failure to secure an adequate agreement would also have very serious repercussions for the very large numbers of EU citizens living in the UK and for UK citizens resident in EU countries. At present, these people continue to have full rights as underwritten by the Court of Justice of the European Union. But as the Public Law Project pointed out in February, it is by no means clear what the situation for them would be in the event of an end to thetransition period on 31 December – particularly if no comprehensive agreement has been reached with the EU. This situation is causing great stress and anxiety, not least among the many EU citizens in the UK who are currently proving so vital as key workers in the NHS, in care homes and in many other roles.We were pleased to see that you raised the need to extend the transition period in your first interview as Labour leader, but are concerned that since then this issue appears to have been largely eclipsed by the coronavirus crisis. And, as you will know, the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement stipulate that the UK–EU Joint Committee must sign off any extension before 1 July. Missing this window would make it very difficult for any extension to be agreed. We are now in mid-May, so this could hardly be more urgent.We hope that you will lose no time in working with other parties in Parliament to put all possible pressure on the government to request an extension. The jobs and wellbeing of so many people depend on this, and – at this of all times – the UK cannot afford to see more self-inflicted and unnecessary harm inflicted on its citizens and those of our EU neighbours.

Yours sincerely,Emmanuelle Brook, Chair, Cornwall for EuropeBrenda Ashton, Chair, Liverpool for EuropeKath England and Joe White, Co-chairs, Manchester For EuropeMartin Brooks, Chair, York For EuropeRichard Newcombe, Chair, London4EuropeAlex Pilkington, Chair, Devon for EuropeJoanne Risley, Chair, Weaver for EuropePeter Burke, Chair, Oxford for EuropeSue Wilson, Chair, Bremain in SpainCaroline Kuipers, Open Britain BerkshireMatt Hodgson, Banbury for Europe

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Helen Holdsworth, co-chair, We Are For EuropePhilip Cole, Chair, Cheltenham for EuropeWiebke Rueterjans, group lead, Merseyside for EuropeAdrian Betteridge, Chair, Berkshire for EuropeJules Cavalier, Chair, Dorset for EuropeKathryn Fox, Coordinator, European Movement MendipNicholas Kerr, Executive committee, European Movement Mid KentJohn Gaskell, Chair, EM SW Surrey branchGeorge Longstaff, European Movement national council member for West MidlandsHarriet Pahl, Chair, Ledbury For EuropeJudy Mason, Acting Chair, Stratford4EuropeTom Pratt, Convener, EU in Brum Elena Remigi and Veronique Martin, Founders, In Limbo ProjectCaroline Anderson, Chair, Eddisbury For EuropeProf Emmy van Deurzen, Chair, Voices for EuropeDebbie Williams, Founder, Brexpats Hear Our VoiceClive Hillman, Co-chair, Southampton for EuropeChristine James, Secretary, Enfield For EuropePaul Adams, Chair, Somerset Loves EuropePhilip Gough, Suffolk EU AllianceRichard Cleaver, Group Facilitator, Stamford For EuropeVirginie Ganivet, Chair, Ely For Europe and South East Cambs For EuropeMichelle Duhig, Events Coordinator, Chippenham4EUMaria Klos, Secretary, Croydon For EuropeAlan White, Chair, Streatham for EuropeSarah Patey, Secretary, Norfolk For EuropeRebecca Ireland, Greenwich for EuropeLouise Brown, Co-founder, North East for EuropeSimon Jones, Chair, Flintshire For EuropeFriederike Brezig, Edinburgh4EuropeJonathan Harris, Branch Chair, East Kent European MovementAndrew Brown, Secretary, People’s Vote Coventry/Coventry4EuropeGinny Smith, Chair, Eunity SeahavenMorag Williamson, Convenor, Yes for EU (Scotland)

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David Rowen, Chair, European Movement Portsmouth and Chichester BranchPat Maguire, Chair, Hull and East Yorkshire for EuropeSimon Ferrigno, Chair, European Movement DerbyshirePetra Kopp, Secretary, Brighton & Hove for EUPaul Browne, Chair, Cambridge for EuropeDuncan Hodgkins, Spokesperson, Veterans for EuropePhilip Nield, Secretary, Northamptonshire for EuropeDiane Holden, South Bucks for EuropeDavid Nickerson, Chair, Esher and Walton Branch European MovementJon Moore, Chair, Lancaster for Europe European MovementJudith King, Organiser, EU in WalsallPeter Corr, UKRejoinTheEU.co.ukJohn Maguire, Chair, Watford for EuropeBarbara Callender, Chairperson, European Movement Wandsworth & MertonCarole Luck, Secretary, Welwyn Hatfield for EuropeRuth St John, Treasurer, Tunbridge Wells INPatrick Reynolds, Sevenoaks Swanley and Tonbridge in EuropeMolly Williams, Naomi Holdaway, Jay Whatson, Ellie Sellwood, Andrea Carlo Martinez, Chaired by consensus, Young European VoicesRosie Price, Chair, Kirklees for EuropeJennifer Monahan, West London Grassroots for EuropeAlex Goulds, Chair, Bromley for EuropeJanet Hardy-Gould, Chair, EUnity LewesJon Ainge, Representing, British in HungaryRichard Jones, Chair, Herefordshire for EuropeNoel McGlinchey, Chair, Chester for EuropeGareth Steel, Co-chair, Lewisham East for EuropeAndrew Black, British in EstoniaPaul Williams, Vice-chair, Hampshire European MovementEmma Woodford, Brexit and the Belgian Brits (BABBS)Ian Morris, Chair, Canterbury for EuropePaul Sims, British in PolandKatherine Baker, Maidenhead for EU

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John Bland, Chair, Lincolnshire European MovementHeike Stopper, Acting Chair, Vale of Glamorgan for EuropeJames Catmur, Lead – Floreat Aula, St Neots and Huntingdon for EuropeClare Scanlan, Glasgow Loves EUJane Golding and Fiona Godfrey, Co-chairs, British in Europe (and coalition groups across the EU)Penelope Phillips McIntyre, Committee member, British in ItalySarah Parkes, Tricia Tarrant and Adam Cohen, British in the NetherlandsNeal Whatson, British in RomaniaJack Dart and James Dart, Co-founders, Staying in the EU is Best for BritainJack Dart and James Dart, Co-founders, Inspire EUStephen Cole, British in FinlandKatherine Ogden and Yvonne Flavin, British in SwitzerlandDavid Milstead, British in SwedenHelen Springall, British in DenmarkRoger Boaden, ECREU (Expat Citizens Rights in the EU)Kalba Meadows and Kathryn Dobson, France Rights, British in Europe FranceJoseph Dodds and Chris Gardiner, British in the Czech RepublicTig James and Rory Stewart, British in PortugalPeter Corkill, Chair, Warwick District 4 EuropeBob Wilkin, Chair, Bedfordshire for EuropeVictoria Lee, Stirling4EuropeTim Lund, Lewisham West & Penge in EuropeWayne Childs, Group leader, Open Britain AbingdonRob Evans & Charles Smith, Chairs, Bridgend for EuropeKate Freeman, Chair, Devizes for EUEmma Knaggs, Chair, Bath for EuropeSteve Bray, Founder, SODEM (Stand of Defiance European Movement)

https://cornwallforeurope.org/letter-to-keir-starmer/

Robert Gosling, Wakefield

18/06/2020 <<Robert Gosling, Wakefield. Spenborough Guardian, Letters.The outbreak of Covid-19 has had a tremendous impact on our NHS and our economy, leaving many people vulnerable. The simple truth is that our NHS cannot cope with the effects of leaving the EU without a trade deal in place and Covid-19.

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The discussions with the EU have, as a result of the pandemic, been delayed, and also have to be conducted remotely. I am, therefore, increasingly concerned that a trade deal will not be finalised, and we will be faced witha no-deal Brexit.Leaving the EU without a deal would cause:Delays in importing medicines and medical equipment, including vital PPE;A weakening of the public health response, including the response to pandemics when we leave EU schemes without agreeing to partnerships with crucial EU bodies;Disruption of patient care due to the ending of reciprocal healthcare agreements.Most people in the UK support extending the transition period. But this isn’t about Brexit. It isn’t about who voted Leave or Remain. It is about doing what is in the national interest. We must do what is right for our country in order to protect our economy and our NHS. Our doctors and nurses are on the front line, fighting this virus everyday. They are risking their lives to protect the public. We should seek an extension to the Brexit transition period, so we can focus on getting the best deal possible and protecting our front-line workers in the NHS. >>https://spenboroughguardian.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/we-must-seek-brexit-extension-protect-our-frontline-nhs-workers-yep-letters-2887152

Richard Wilson (Leeds for Europe)

17/06/2020 <<Brexit pause now required to head off yet another crisis – Yorkshire Post Letters (1/2)“RASHMI Dube, managing director of Legatus Law, spells out clearly in your Business section the strains created by Brexit uncertainty coming atop the Covid-19 crisis (The Yorkshire Post, June 11).But she is perhaps too diplomatic to be as clear about where blame for these strains should lie. The deadlines are not set in stone. They are artificial constructs being imposed by our Government.Brussels has offered a two-year extension to transition talks – but Britain needs to agree to this before the end of June.If not, then we risk crashing out of the EU with no deal in December.Groups such as Leeds for Europe and the national European Movement are calling on the Government to accept this offer – delay Brexit and focus on tackling Covid-19.As Rashmi Dube says, time is running out. I would urge any business that feels that one crisis at a time is enough to contact their MP immediately and demand a Brexit pause. And perhaps be a little less diplomatic than Ms Dube when doing so. Richard Wilson, Chair, Leeds for Europe.”https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opi nion/letters/brexit-pause-now-required-head-yet-another-crisis-yorkshire-post-letters-2886065 >>

Martin Brooks 17/06/2020 <<Brexit pause now required to head off yet another crisis – Yorkshire Post Letters (2/2)

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(York for Europe). “In the impossibly short time available before June 30 for resolving a meaningful trade arrangement with the EU and the inherent uncertainty any such a deal would involve, the only sensible strategy for the Government is to extend the transition period. We need to assess the economic terrain in which are negotiating and be objective about our future interests, and the trade terms we need to agree before our practical departure date from the EU. The huge cost of a no deal to the economy has been well established.Whilst supporting Brexit in principle, York Outer MP Julian Sturdy has said that a no- deal Brexit will be detrimental and he would work hard to prevent it.We trust that Julian will be as good as his word on this. Martin Brooks, Chair, York for Europe.”>>https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/brexit-pause-now-required-head-yet-another-crisis-yorkshire-post-letter s-2886065

Devon for Europe 23/06/2020 ADVERTORIAL: Help extend the Brexit Transition Period by taking these steps Devon for Europe has published an open letter to West Country MPs asking them to work with all urgency to secure an extension to the Brexit Transition Period before the opportunity to do so expires on June 30.

Extending the transition period will not oblige the UK to contribute to the EU’s coronavirus rescue package, nor will it incur some of the costs that have been quoted in the media.

Anthea Simmons, spokesperson and volunteer co-ordinator for Devon for Europe, said: “The UK has left the EU.Our concern now is that every effort is made to mitigate the most severe negative impacts of Brexit, especially inthe midst of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.[....].”>>

The advertortial provides links to key inormation and guidance on how to write to MPs. https://www.devonlive.com/special-features/help-extend-brexit-transition-period-4254511

Michael Chessum, National organiser for Another Europeis Possible

22/06/2020 Michael Chessum, Another Europe is Possible<<I really can't quite believe what's happened with Labour and the Brexit transition period. We've gone from: "It's inevitably going to be extended" To: "It's bad politics to call for extension"To: [Silent disbelief] And now: "There was no way it was ever going to be extended" >>https://twitter.com/michael_chessum/status/1275037723955466240?s=20

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