Brexit: Work to leave EU should be halted as governments deal with coronavirus

Brexit preparations should be hated to ensure all resources can be directed at mitigating the effects of coronavirus on the environment and rural economy, according to Roseanna Cunningham.

Roseanna Cunningham will today ask the UK government to abandon Brexit plans to focus on coronavirus.

Speaking ahead of the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs being hosted by the Scottish Government by video conference today, the Environment Secretary said all available government resource “needs to be put towards tackling COVID-19 and mitigating its effects on almost every area of Scottish society.”

She said Brexit was “an unwelcome and unnecessary distraction. Continuing to plough on could seriously harm our ability to tackle a virus which threatens lives and livelihoods across these islands.”

Today's meeting will consider the pressures of COVID-19, and Ms Cunningham said parliamentary timetables also mean the work required to deal with Brexit cannot be accommodated, while governments deal with coronavirus.

She added: “We are therefore calling on the UK DEFRA Secretary of State to make the case in the UK Cabinet to halt current Brexit negotiations, which would allow us to refocus these Inter Ministerial Groups fully to co-ordinating and liaising across the four nations on our collective response to COVID-19.”

There is already doubt about the continuation of Brexit negotiations after both Michael Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, revealed he had coronavirus, as did the UK’s lead negotiator David Frost.

The revelations fuelled calls for both sides to extend the transition period that ends on December 31 2020, but Boris Johnson has denied reports he would seek an extension saying it was “not a subject that is being regularly discussed”.

The latest round of talks, due to take place in London last week, were cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak. The two sides have been unable to agree so far on other ways of talking.

The UK has said both sides are considering “alternative ways to continue discussions”, such as video conferencing and conference calls. And the next round, due to start on April 6, is now in doubt, as the EU executive and all European governments turn their attention to fighting the coronavirus crisis.