Brexit deal is done

25 December 2020

I felt that I had to interrupt the Christmas Day activities briefly to note the historic Brexit trade deal that was reached unexpectedly yesterday between the UK and the EU.

The agreement has been reached exactly four and a half years after the European referendum on 24 June 2016.

It has to gain the formal approval of the 27 EU member states and the UK parliament, although this is expected to be a formality.

The deal, covering trade with the bloc worth £668bn in 2019, means that British businesses will be able to sell goods into the EU market without punitive tariffs or quotas that limit the amount of a product that can be sold.

There will be much analysis and discussion of the agreement, which is said to amount to more than 1,500 pages. However, the announcement marks a major milestone and brings a sense of closure.

Talking of his determination to get the deal done, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that “beating Covid is our number one national priority and I wanted to end any extra uncertainty and give this country the best possible chance of bouncing back strongly next year.”

Hopefully this will draw a line under a long-running issue that has proved frustrating and divisive, and people can now concentrate on future business opportunities.

Merry Christmas to all.

Photo: Tumisu/Pixabay