Covid-19 and the Brexit transition period

We can all agree that these are unprecedented times.  Life has changed beyond recognition over these past few weeks.  We are socially distancing, working remotely and trying to pull together as best we can.  Some of us are also now trying to avoid too many family video calls.

We will get through this and things will get better.  Until then, we need to continue to focus on what and who is most important

That will sometimes mean recognising that the context in which decisions were taken a few months ago has changed completely and so we may need change our minds, put things on hold and take bold actions.

The election in December 2019 delivered a clear majority for getting Brexit done and the emboldened UK Government made clear that the transition period would end on 31 December 2020, deal or no deal. 

With governments around the world rightly prioritising saving lives, it must now be unlikely that a deal will be reached by the end of this year. 

Leaving without a deal would be disastrous for families.  With no safety net of the current arrangements in place, it would mean greater uncertainty and expense for our clients in situations where they need peace of mind most.   And of course this would be on top of what everyone has suffered this year. 

The right course of action is for the UK and EU to come together now to extend the transition period.  This would then provide proper space to deal with the pandemic and the future relationship between the UK and EU can be left for another day.