Dear John,

The OECD has given the UK a troubling warning.

Failure to reach a trade deal with Europe would mean a “serious additional economic disturbance”.

Fishing, which accounts for 0.12% of the overall economy, and less than 0.1% of the UK’s jobs, appears to remain a key obstacle in negotiations.

The UK recently rejected the EU’s compromise to release 18% of fish caught in UK waters. The stalemate continues, and with one month until the end of the transition period.

Allowing such a serious blow to the economy, for the sake of an ill-defined totem of bygone imperial power like fishing rights, is simply unforgivable. But, it seems, for Boris Johnson symbols and political imagery are more important than livelihoods and recovery.  

And tanking the UK economy further will do nothing to help the fishing workers and coastal towns the government claims to support. In fact, it is those left behind communities Boris Johnson promised to level up which will be most severely impacted by a no deal or thin deal exit.

Send a message to Boris Johnson, and tell him we haven’t forgotten the deal we were promised. Tell him a no deal is not a victory, but a failure of governance. Urge him to reach a deal before its truly too late.

Helping the UK’s recovery should always come before political games and ideological concerns.

Having left things this late, the Prime Minister has left us with two options: a catastrophic no deal scenario, or a moderately better silhouette of a deal.

The government has announced many measures to boost the economy, from freezing public sector pay to launching a Brexit task force. Yet the one sure-fire act of economic restoration, reaching a comprehensive deal with Europe, they ignore.

Send a message to Boris Johnson today. Tell him a deal is needed to aid the UK’s recovery from COVID – that should come before all other ideological and political concerns. Send your message.

The Chancellor failed to mention Brexit once in his Spending Review speech. Boris Johnson and his circle think a no deal or a bad deal will be masked by the COVID recession. In reality, it will only deepen and prolong our economic misery. 

Regardless of whether some form of agreement is reached, the fact that Boris Johnson values his political image over countless livelihoods, business and families will not be forgotten. The impact of Brexit rests squarely on his conscience. 

Best wishes,

Naomi Smith, 
CEO, Best for Britain