The Prime Minister's statement on the conclusion of the European Council summit this week warns that UK must be prepared for a no-deal end to transition on 31st December.
Asked whether he was walking away from negotiations with the EU, Mr Johnson said "As far as I can see they have abandoned the idea of a free trade deal. There doesn't seem to be any progress. So what we're saying is come here, come to us. But unless there's a fundamental change of approach we should go for Australia"
We reviewed some of the Prime Minister's previous opinions about 'No-Deal'
"We have no plan for no deal, because we're going to get a great deal."
— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) October 16, 2020
"I've looked carefully at no deal. I've assessed its consequences... Be in no doubt. That outcome would be a failure of statecraft."
Prime Minister, what happened? ~AA pic.twitter.com/FpikxBVAGg
What have the EU said?
EU leaders have been clear that they want talks to proceed. Walking away from negotiations would be a choice by the UK.
- 'The European Council invites the Union's chief negotiator to continue negotiations in the coming weeks' - European Council conclusions (15 October)
- 'We are absolutely determined to reach a fair deal with the UK ... My team, our team, and I will continue intensive discussions over the coming weeks.' - Michel Barnier comments (15 October)
- 'We have asked the United Kingdom to remain open to compromise, so that an agreement can be reached. This of course means that we, too, will need to make compromises.' - Angela Merkel comments (15 October)
Commenting on the Prime Minister's statement, Best for Britain CEO Naomi Smith said:
“The Prime Minister was elected on a promise to secure a trade deal with the EU. To be clear, the EU has not abandoned the idea of a free trade deal with us and it would be the Prime Minister's decision to abandon these talks.
“Without a deal tariffs would destroy the competitiveness of many UK industries, meaning the current economic crisis will cut deeper into people’s lives.
“At the same time the Government readily admits that most businesses are not prepared for no-deal. They don’t have the cash reserves to make the necessary changes and the Government still hasn’t put in place the correct customs infrastructure.
“The EU has signalled its desire to carry on talks. Walking away now would be a hideous gamble with the country’s future.”
Speak out by contacting your MP
Use Best for Britain's simple online tool to send a message to your MP. Let them know you think Britain should keep to its promises on the international stage. Let them know we need a proper trade deal with Europe.