Coronavirus Outbreak Puts Brexit Negotiations in Jeopardy
Coronavirus Threatens Brexit Talks as Gove Rules Out Extension
Negotiations between the U.K. and European Union over their post-Brexit relationship are being thrown in doubt by the coronavirus, with Britain’s refusal to countenance any extension to the talks putting a deal in jeopardy.
Speaking to a panel of lawmakers in London on Wednesday, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said whether the next talks will go ahead as planned is now a “live question.”
“We have had indications today from Belgium that there may be public health concerns,” he said.
The two sides are already discussing contingency plans should next week’s round of talks be canceled, according to an official involved in the preparations. Those include using video links like the EU’s 27 leaders did when they discussed the virus on Tuesday.
Any disruption would put an even greater squeeze on an already limited period for negotiations. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has threatened to walk away in June if he doesn’t think he has a good chance of a deal. If no agreement is reached, the U.K. and the EU will default to trading on World Trade Organization terms on Jan. 1, 2020.
Gove expressly ruled out any extension to that deadline. “The course is set,” he said. “It would be foolish for anyone to imagine the prime minister isn’t going to stick to that timetable and stick to that commitment.”
After the first round of discussions on Britain’s future relationship last week, both sides played down the chances of a delay -- but the EU has since canceled all but the most urgent meetings on other issues in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The talks involve more than 100 negotiators from both sides.
Downing Street spokesman James Slack said talks are still due to go ahead as planned, but are under review. Any decisions would have to be taken jointly with the EU, he said.
“As far as I’m aware, the talks are still scheduled to go on without any changes,” European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said.
--With assistance from Thomas Penny and Robert Hutton.
To contact the reporters on this story: Ian Wishart in Brussels at iwishart@bloomberg.net;Joe Mayes in London at jmayes9@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edward Evans at eevans3@bloomberg.net, Ben Sills
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