London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Boris Johnson says 'no Brexit extension' despite coronavirus emergency

Boris Johnson has said there is ‘no talk’ of extending the Brexit transition period despite the coronavirus crisis.
The outbreak has cancelled trade talks between the EU and the UK but the British Prime Minister said the deadline remained December 31.

On Wednesday evening, both sides exchanged draft legal texts for the future relationship.

Britain was understood to have shared a negotiating document detailing a desired free trade agreement, plans for aviation safety and a civil nuclear agreement.

The PM’s Europe adviser David Frost and Brussels’ chief negotiator Michel Barnier were due to resume talks on Wednesday, but had these scuppered by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Negotiations were expected to get back on track next week, but there was an acknowledgement they could no longer take place in person.

There have been calls to extend the transition period after Europe was declared the epicentre of the epidemic.

The end of year deadline was always considered an ambitious goal but now borders across the 27-nation bloc have been shut and entire countries placed in lockdown.

Addressing the issue during his press conference, Mr Johnson was asked about a delay.

He pointed out that the current law prevented ministers from asking for an extension.

He said: ‘It’s not a subject that’s being regularly discussed, I can tell you, in Downing Street at the moment,” he told reporters.

‘There is legislation in place that I have no intention of changing.’

The Government had no plans to publish the draft treaty, whereas the EU’s version had leaked to various media outlets ahead of it being shared with the UK.

‘We are sharing ours in confidence as a negotiating document, as part of the ongoing negotiating process,” a Government spokeswoman said.

‘Teams will now analyse each other’s texts and we expect further conversations between the teams next week.

‘We will keep under review which documents it is appropriate to publish during the course of negotiations and whether it is useful to make them available more widely.’

The UK officially left the bloc at 11pm on January 31 and has now entered a transition period until the end of the year.

The first round of talks was held in Brussels earlier this month and both sides remain far from any kind of agreement about the future relationship.

The UK wants a ‘Canada-style’ free trade agreement while Brussels has called for a closer relationship.

The sticking points continue to be rows over fishing and the future role of the European Court of Justice.

Mr Johnson had set a deadline of June for the two sides to make progress and has threatened to walk away.

If talks continue to be delayed, it could have huge consequences on the likelihood of the UK crashing out at the end of the year without a trade deal.

Leaving without a deal risks plunging the UK into recession and figures released before the coronavirus crisis suggested that the UK economy had unexpectedly flatlined.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×