“Let’s be very clear about it, our position is unchanged. The transition period ends on the 31st of December, that is enshrined in law,” he told parliament after stepping in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“There is no intention of changing that and actually what we should do now … is focus on removing any additional uncertainty, doing a deal by the end of the year and allowing both the UK and the European Union and all of its member states to bounce back as we come through the coronavirus.”
