Northern Ireland has joined Wales and Scotland in backing an extension to the Brexit transition period.
The Assembly 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.”
“Further economic shock”
Earlier this year the Welsh government called for a longer Brexit transition to stave off “further economic shock”.
In a letter from Mark Drakeford to the prime minister the first minister said it seemed “simply implausible to continue the negotiations to the timeframe originally envisaged, under these circumstances”.
It follows similar calls in Scotland after Constitution Secretary Michael Russell appealed for a two year extension after the EU-UK legal text was published.
Mr Russell said: “People in Scotland will be utterly dismayed that the UK Government is pressing ahead with these complex negotiations when all their efforts should be focussed on tackling the current unprecedented crisis.
“This makes it more urgent than ever that the UK Government asks for a two year extension to the current transition period to avoid the the disaster of No Deal in just over seven months’ time”
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.
David Frost said that the Government’s position on the issue is “pretty clear”, and that negotiators are working towards an end of year deadline.
Related: UK poverty crisis and Covid-19: The collateral damage of a decade of austerity
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