People have been quick to point out the obvious today after the Sunday Express splashed that Boris Johnson is planning to fix the “defective” Brexit deal.
The right wing tabloid claimed that the government’s chief negotiator, David Frost is out to put right “unfair defects” they didn’t have time to fix.
But the announcement was at odds with previous coverage of the deal, as pointed out by James O’Brien among many others:
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) June 7, 2020
Brexit extension
On Wednesday Northern Ireland joined Wales and Scotland in backing an extension to the Brexit transition period.
Stormont passed the motion by 50 votes 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 supply chains 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.”
Extension request “will be rejected”
The UK’s chief negotiator has pledged that any request for an extension to the Brexit transition period from the EU will be rejected.
Frost said that the Government’s position on the issue is “pretty clear”, and that negotiators are working towards an end of year deadline.
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