Brexit reality falls short of rhetoric again as "no deal" threat looms

 

Responding to news that the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the EU "seems unlikely", Liberal Democrat Brexit and Foreign Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: 

“We were told that this would be the easiest negotiation ever but, yet again, the Brexit reality is very different from the rhetoric. 

"Millions of people are looking to the future with dread. With no end in sight to the COVID crisis and the worst economic forecasts for a century or more, the disruption of a no deal Brexit threatens to push the UK into total meltdown. 

"This is not about party politics. It's about making sure families can put food on the table and access life saving medicines. 

"The Prime Minister's childish refusal to extend negotiations in the face of the COVID-crisis shows he would rather flatter his ego than confront reality. If he can't face putting the national interest first then he is not fit to lead this country."