This is so misleading.
There is no legal provisions available to extend the status quo (i.e. the transition). The deadline for doing this passed on 1st July. That's it. Opportunity gone. Now the only options are to end transition with a deal, or without a deal.
There is no legal provisions available to extend the status quo (i.e. the transition). The deadline for doing this passed on 1st July. That's it. Opportunity gone. Now the only options are to end transition with a deal, or without a deal.
https://twitter.com/Andrew_Adonis/status/1333102287007387650
So the only way now to extend the status quo is to create a new legal base in international law that make provision for this. This can only be done by:
1. Amending the Withdrawal Agreement. This wld need a negotiation (takes time) and comes with political risk (the whole agreement wld have to be "opened up", allowing both sides to play games with other elements of the deal). Given this, it's never going to happen)
2. Negotiating a new treaty that overrides the Withdrawal Agreement. technically a different approach to no. 1, but the problems are the same. So this is never going to happen.
And even if pigs were to fly & a new legal base was created, there wld be a political storm in the UK, since Parl. has legislated to prohibit an extension of the status quo transition (Section 33 of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020).
legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/1/s…
legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/1/s…
Although it is worth noting that, given the way this prohibition has been drafted, a new international agreement with the EU wld circumvent it, were govt. to attempt this, it could break the Cons in two, so...this is never going to happen.
Given all of this, suggesting that the status quo can be extended is classic unicorn territory, and it wld be best to leave the other lot to try to herd these mythical beasts.
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