This is a fight we thought we had won.

In 2019, we all came together to defeat the looming threat of a no deal Brexit.

But we are now closer to leaving without a deal in place than we have been in a long time.

Yesterday, negotiations between the UK and the EU resumed in London. The previous round ended early as “significant differences” remained.

Throughout these negotiations, the UK has refused to acknowledge the impact of COVID. Neither the fragility of our economy, nor the time stolen from the negotiation during the lockdown, has led the Government to change the Brexit timetable. This risks leaving with no deal - or a thin deal, which will have many of the same impacts.

So it’s up to us, to pick up the battle where we left off, and resist a bad deal. The Government has broken its promise to deliver a deal at all costs. Tell your MP you what a bad deal would mean for you. Tell your MP what matters most.

By now, we all know just how damaging a no deal Brexit would be. But it’s important to remember COVID, and its devastating economic impact, make a thin deal just as concerning. Our SMF impact report shows any disruption to European trade would slow our economic recovery from COVID, with some regions much worse hit than others.

A deal like this means communities across the UK would face job losses, depleted and exhausted public services and an even more bumpy recovery from Coronavirus. No one voted for that. No one voted to be poorer.

In fact, our polling shows 90% of voters in vulnerable Red Wall regions want a deal - and 70% would prioritise trade and cooperation with Europe over Trump’s America.

Data and polling are important - but it can’t beat your personal story. Tell your MP what concerns you most about a bad deal exit. Is the fact we’ll we lose access to European health programmes in the middle of a pandemic? Or are you worried we will have to accept low food standards to get a deal with Trump? Tell your MP what matters most to you.

Nobody quite knows where we will be in December. But clearly we shouldn’t be cutting ties with our closest allies in the middle of an emergency.

We won’t be fooled by the flimsy outline of a deal or disingenuously branding it an “Australian style” deal. We know what a no deal looks like.

Best wishes,

Cary Mitchell,
Director of Operations, Best for Britain