June 2020
Dear Constituent,
Thank you very much indeed for contacting me about the transition period. All understood and noted by me.
I appreciate that you have concerns about the upcoming deadline, but Ministers have already shown that they are able to negotiate international agreements with speed and efficiency. After all, the Withdrawal Agreement was re-opened and re-negotiated in under three months despite many believing that this would be not be possible.
Negotiations have been continuing throughout the coronavirus outbreak with discussions taking place via videoconference in April, May and most recently in June. I understand that significant progress has been made across a number of areas and the technical detail is well understood by both sides.
The UK and the EU share closely aligned interests and I am confident that the determination and willingness of the Parties to reach a free trade agreement will ensure that the matter is brought to a conclusion by the end of 2020 as legally committed to in good faith by both Parties as part of the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the Future Partnership.
Going forward, you might find the article below by George Yarrow both interesting and instructive about some of the key issues that will face both the UK and the EU negotiators in the weeks and months ahead.
From what I can glean, George Yarrow is an Oxford University professor and a former head of the Regulatory Policy Institute and he advocated for the ‘Norway Option’ rather than a hard Brexit during 2018.
I broadly concur with most of his thoughts about the current state of the negotiations.
Thank you once again for taking the time to contact me.
With best wishes.
Kind regards,
Jonathan Lord MP
Member of Parliament for Woking