Boris Johnson must not allow no-deal Brexit to damage economy already weakened by Covid – leader comment

The damage from the coronavirus crisis is bad enough without adding further pain by allowing a no-deal Brexit, simply to stick to an arbitrary deadline.

Boris Johnson must change course to avoid an economically disastrous no-deal Brexit (Picture: Andrew Parsons/No 10 Downing Street)

Imagine for a moment that the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak had never happened. The big news in the UK would have undoubtedly been Brexit, particularly the lamentable progress of trade talks with the European Union and the beginning of similarly vital negotiations with the United States.

The fact that this has dropped off the radar almost completely amid the current crisis shows just how dramatically our priorities have changed, but then saving people’s lives and restarting our economy safely are self-evidently far more important.

And yet, the UK Government is pressing ahead with its original pre-Covid deadline – to agree a trade deal with Brussels or leave without one by the end of this year – even though it was already widely seen as overly optimistic before the pandemic began.

Now Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney has warned the two negotiating teams may “reach yet another crisis point” in the next few weeks without significant developments. This, he said, was “very, very serious” from Ireland’s point of view because of the trade links between the two countries.

And it’s not just Ireland that should be concerned. Last year, the International Monetary Fund warned a no-deal Brexit “that severely disrupts supply chains and raises trade costs could potentially have large and long-lasting negative impacts on the economies of the United Kingdom and the European Union”.

In fact, the damage could be so severe that the whole world suffers a “sharp deterioration” in its fortunes, the IMF added. In other words, no-deal risks creating an economic storm of global dimensions with the UK experiencing the full force of its fury.

Given the extent of the damage the UK and the world is currently suffering because of the Covid crisis, it is reckless in the extreme for the UK Government to insist on sticking to its own arbitrarily imposed deadline.

Boris Johnson has a large majority and a five-year term in which to make sure Brexit happens, so there is no reason to rush the talks with the EU. It is imperative that we reach a deal, much more so than it was before, and simply not acceptable to fail to do so.

A good general knows that few battleplans survive for long after the fighting begins. A good leader must know when to change course in response to events. Only a bad one ploughs on regardless.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director