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At the Downing Street lobby briefing the prime minister’s spokesman also significantly toughened the UK’s stance on Brexit. The government has always ruled out requesting an extension to the post-Brexit transition period, and it has stuck to that position even though coronavirus has made it increasingly hard to see how the UK and the EU will be able to conclude a trade deal by the end of this year when crisis management is a full-time job and officials cannot even meet in the same room to carry out the negotiation.

But, as James Forsyth, the Spectator’s political editor reports this week, there has been speculation that the EU itself could request an extension of the transition. One theory was that it would be hard for the UK to refuse.

But the UK would refuse such a request, the spokesman said this morning. He told journalists:

We will not ask to extend the transition. And, if the EU asks, we will say no. Extending the transition would simply prolong the negotiations, prolong business uncertainty, and delay the moment of control of our borders. It would also keep us bound by EU legislation at a point when we need legislative and economic flexibility to manage the UK response to the coronavirus pandemic.

What is also interesting about this comment is that it shows No 10 is now arguing that coronavirus strengthens the case for the UK to break away from regulatory alignment with the EU. Opposing regulatory alignment could end up with the UK having to negotiate with the EU on WTO terms (what used to be called a “no-deal” Brexit), although of course the government says it wants a Canada-style trade deal.