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Responding to Michael Gove’s confirmation today that the UK will not be asking for an extension to the Brexit transition period, European Movement Chair and Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell said: 

"In choosing not to extend the transition period, the government is choosing to put ideology before country. Just this morning, it was announced that Britain’s GDP shrank by 20.4% in April - the largest monthly drop on record. At a time when we are facing the biggest public health crisis in over a century and Coronavirus is already wreaking havoc on our economy, now is not the time for the government to recklessly flirt with a No-Deal Brexit that will further endanger people’s livelihoods."

To Chip in to help stop a No Deal Brexit, click here: 

We were told before the referendum that securing a free trade deal between the UK and the EU would be “one of the easiest in human history”. Nearly four years on, history has shown this was not the case. It took three and a half years just to agree the withdrawal framework agreement. Now, in the midst of a pandemic, we have just eight months left to get a trade agreement drawn up and agreed – with two rounds of talks having already been cancelled in March 2020.

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A no deal Brexit will happen if the UK fails to agree a trade deal with the EU prior to the end of the exit transition period. This is currently scheduled for 31st December 2020. The transition period can only be extended if the UK requests more time for negotiations before 30th June 2020. If we have no trade deal in place with the EU by the end of transition, on 1st January 2021 we will switch to operating on World Trade Organisation terms with the EU. This means the introduction of tariffs and non-tariff barriers, e.g. regulations for goods and services.

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Leading scientists have written an open letter to Boris Johnson outlining the detrimental impact that a short Brexit transition would have on scientific research. They call for the Government to “take whatever time is needed to negotiate a productive future relationship with the EU, including UK research and the ERA.”

Read the full letter below.

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER FROM LEADING RESEARCH SCIENTISTS IN THE UK

Dear Prime Minister,

Impact on Science Research of Brexit Transition Termination

The response to Covid-19 has shown how international collaboration has been essential for rapid progress in understanding the disease. No single nation has the expertise or innovative pipeline and power to characterize the virus, develop a vaccine for it and distribute that vaccine globally.

The huge scientific problems facing globally inter-connected economies, ranging from climate change to artificial intelligence, require shared expertise and research power. There is a wonderful vehicle for galvanizing and funding such collaborative research and innovation, the European Research Area.

The UK played a major role in the creation of the ERA and defining its ways of working and has led many of its most significant research efforts. But our involvement is now in jeopardy with the prospect of a No-Deal Brexit.

We believe that the Government should take whatever time is needed to negotiate a productive future relationship with the EU, including UK research and the ERA. This can only benefit both parties and is manifestly in the long-term interest of the UK and all its citizens. Covid-19 has inflicted a severe setback to our economy and to future prospects of our youth.

Recovery from such a setback will require a strong research and innovation base and a NoDeal Brexit would severely damage it. It would erode the attractiveness of our universities to talent from around the globe and the attractiveness of the UK as a location for leading science and technology businesses, at precisely a time when those goals are under threat due to the pandemic.

We believe a No-Deal Brexit will cause unnecessary and possibly long-term damage because of an arbitrary timeline set before the pandemic.

Yours faithfully,

• Venki Ramakrishan, Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2000, President of the Royal Society
• Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2001
• Martin Rees FRS, Baron Rees of Ludlow
• Niall FitzGerald KBE, Chairman – Leverhulme Trust
• Professor Daniel Anthony, University of Oxford
• Professor Dorothy Bishop, University of Oxford
• Professor Edward Bullmore, University of Cambridge
• Professor Roger Crisp, University of Oxford
• Professor Annette Dolphin, University College London,
• Professor Dame Athene Donald DBE FRS, University of Cambridge
• Professor Barry Everitt FRS, University of Cambridge
• Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith FRS, University of Cambridge
• Professor Christine Holt FRS, University of Cambridge
• Professor Charles Hulme FBA, University of Oxford
• Professor Roger Lemon, University College London
• Professor Stafford Lightman, University of Bristol
• Dr Alice Prochaska, Former Principal and Honorary Fellow Somerville College, Oxford
• Professor Wolfram Schultz, University of Cambridge
• Professor Maggie Snowling CBE, University of Oxford
• Professor David Spiegelhalter OBE FRS, University of Cambridge
• Professor William Whyte, St John’s College, Oxford

Want to get involved in our campaign to extend the transition?

Chip into our campaign:

Donate 

Sign the petition:

Sign the Petition

We know that things are challenging for many right now. Some of us are working on the frontline in hospitals and shops. Some of us are trying to balance working from home with homeschooling our children.

Many of us are missing family and friends.

In these difficult times, it's easy to feel isolated.

Here at the European Movement, we’ve been so inspired by the ways that communities have been coming together through this crisis. We may be stuck at home, but our activism continues!

This National Volunteer Week, here are three things that you can do (from your sofa!) to get involved in our newest campaign calling on the government to extend the transition period in order to focus on COVID-19:

1) Retweet this video message from Michael Heseltine 

Our President Michael Heseltine has recorded a powerful video message about the need to extend the transition period in the national interest. 

Share the video to amplify his message and help us grow our community!

2) Sign (and share!) the Petition

Our petition telling Boris Johnson to pause the transition period in order to focus on protecting our NHS has generated over 58,000 signatures!

Help us keep the momentum going. If you haven’t already signed, add your name today:

Already signed? Share the petition on social media to help us reach 100,000 signatures:

3) Write to your MP

Writing to your MP is one of the best ways to ensure that your voice is heard. Letters from constituents help MPs understand how people in their constituency feel about an issue, and help inform policy decisions.

We've created a simple tool to help you write to your MP - it only takes two minutes!

4) Chip in to the Crowdfunder

Thank you to everyone who has chipped in to our crowdfunder so far. With your help, we’ve managed to raise over £58,000!

Last year, European Movement activists were instrumental in stopping a No Deal Brexit. This time, the stakes are even higher. But we’ve won this fight once - we can do it again. 

Can you chip in to help our activists demand that the government extend the Brexit transition period in order to stop a catastrophic No Deal Brexit?

On behalf of the entire European Movement team, thank you.

In yesterday’s Independent, European Movement President Lord Michael Heseltine wrote a powerful piece supporting our campaign to extend the transition period in the national interest. He said: 

When everyone is hoping for certainty about a time when the disease will be under control, it is unforgivable for the government to add another uncertainty which it could control. At a time when so many are struggling, the government must not add a cliff-edge no-deal crisis to this hardship, and compound the economic turmoil now facing the country.

You can read the full article here:

Last week, the third round of trade negotiations ended with UK Chief Negotiator David Frost admitting that there had been "very little progress towards agreement on the most significant outstanding issues between us". 

There are now only 45 days remaining for the EU and UK to agree to an extension. Otherwise, we risk crashing out without a deal - which would be catastrophic for our economy and our NHS. 

If you agree with Lord Heseltine that the government should put country before ideology and extend the transition period, please consider making a donation today:

Thank you for your support!

During these challenging times, it is more important than ever to stay connected. That's why this week, we hosted our second Twitter Chat! This time, we talked about our newest campaign to extend the transition period in order to avoid a catastrophic No Deal Brexit.

We started off with a simple poll - and as you can see, the results were pretty clear!

POLL: In the context of #Covid19 do you think that the government should extend the transition? #BrexitWatch

— European Movement UK (@euromove) May 11, 2020

Next, we asked how a No Deal Brexit would impact your industry. We got some very interesting replies, with everyone from doctors to bakers highlighting the difficulties that would arise if we crash out without a trade agreement in place. 

Working in the NHS, we would be especially affected by the loss of EU workforce, the inability to buy medications, most of which are EU imports, ant the inability to take part in joint purchasing schemes. That is of course in addition to the economic impact and loss of goodwill

— PeterB #FBPE (@peterdavidburke) May 11, 2020

We run a cakery and at least half our orders are for free- from cakes, specifically, gluten free. We rely on quality ingredients; chocolate, almonds, maize flour. No deal means no food and the Trump trade deal means you can’t get food of acceptable quality.

— Juliet Bramfitt (@BramfittJuliet) May 11, 2020

Annette asked about the best way to lobby the government to agree to an extension as the end of June draws nearer. 

Hi Anette! Great #BrexitWatch Question.

We're campaigning to do just that. You can join us by:

📝Sign the petition: https://t.co/qJ3hZjFOab

✍️Write to your MP: https://t.co/4PnlpkpBKI

✊Chip in to the crowdfunder: https://t.co/8KNmUtvZDM https://t.co/oOAt9XVxAk

— European Movement UK (@euromove) May 11, 2020

Friederike asked a great question about reaching people outside of our bubble and welcoming new people into our movement: 

Great question! The best activism starts in your own community - but during this challenging time, our advocacy has had to move online. However, you can still contact local businesses, write to your local paper, and even post in local facebook groups! 💪 https://t.co/D4lIWZ3N2r

— European Movement UK (@euromove) May 11, 2020

We then asked our Chair, Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell what the main impact of a No Deal Brexit would be on the NHS:

Supply of equipment and medicines is already disrupted; staff recruitment from EU countries is already down; research funding is already reduced. Why make it worse? Brexit has happened; we don't argue (today) to reverse it. Simply to avoid unnecessary further risks. https://t.co/xH1uFPCWMa

— Stephen Dorrell 🔸 (@stephen_dorrell) May 11, 2020

We ended the chat with a fun twitter poll about just how bad a No Deal Brexit would be. You heard it here first, folks: a No Deal Brexit would be worse than Marmite!

#BrexitWatch POLL: how bad would No Deal Brexit be?

Worse than:

— European Movement UK (@euromove) May 11, 2020

In the transformed global setting of the COVID-19 pandemic, the major pro-EU groups are coming together to campaign for the UK to agree with the EU to postpone by two years the hard end-date of the UK's exit transition period. Colin Gordon (Oxford for Europe) sets the scene.

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