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politics explained

Why no-deal Brexit is back on the table now

There are plenty of hurdles before Britain manages to leave the EU with a deal, writes Sean O'Grady

Friday 20 December 2019 19:57 GMT
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The Commons won’t guard against a crash out
The Commons won’t guard against a crash out

This time next year, as Del Boy used to say in Only Fools and Horses, the United Kingdom should have completed its Brexit transition period and be ready to start its new relationship with the European Union. According to the revised (19 October) Political Declaration agreed between the EU and the UK, which outlines this new future, it will be an “ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership across trade and economic cooperation with a comprehensive and balanced free trade agreement at its core, law enforcement and criminal justice, foreign policy, security and defence and wider areas of cooperation”.

The aim is for this be concluded by 31 December 2020, when the transition period ends. (This being a period when the UK continues to operate as if it was a member of the EU, but without a voice in it and no longer legally a member state.)

Now the government has decided to put this end point for the transition period into law. It is only 12 months away now, but was designed to be much longer when Brexit was scheduled to be complete by the early part of 2019.

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