Prime Minister Johnson’s team have worked on an amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill which will make it impossible for the UK to ask for an extension of the transition period (due to end on 31 December 2020). The move comes as a result of a promise in the Tories’ manifesto to “get Brexit done”.
This raises the risk of falling off a cliff edge exit on 31 December 2020, into a WTO rules-based system for the UK minus Northern Ireland, in case there is no trade deal agreed by this date. EU officials are doubtful of whether a trade deal can be achieved in this short timeframe, with slightly more chances of just agreeing a basic deal.