Johnson: no transition period extension if Brexit deal is struck
by Rowena Mason and Peter Walker from on (#4QEZE)
Government would only have 14 months to avoid hard border in Ireland in event of deal
Boris Johnson will not ask for an extension to the EU transition period beyond December 2020 if he gets a Brexit deal, which would leave just 14 months for arrangements to be put in place to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.
As Johnson sat down for lunch with Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, a No 10 spokesman poured cold water on the idea that the UK may be prepared to accept a longer transition period to help reduce the need for a backstop.
Continue reading...