The warning came from former Prime Minister Gordon Brown who claimed that after the coronavirus crisis will finally be solved, there will be no place for barriers between Brexit Britain and the EU – or the rest of the world – at a time economies will struggle to get back on their feet. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, the former Labour leader said: “By the end of this year the big issue will be how can you restore trade?

“It will be not how you can build more barriers.

“It’s going to be how you’re going to get the world economy moving.

“And it doesn’t seem to me to make sense to be talking about more tariffs at a time when actually we will be trying to rebuild the links with the global supply chains and exports between different countries.

“So I think the Government has got to consider that.

“But for the moment, I think they’ve got to concentrate on getting control of this epidemic.”

The warning came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that there are “no plans” to amend the legislation to extend the transition period with the EU. 

Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union at the end of the year, and Mr Johnson says Britain will either have a mutually beneficial trade agreement or the country will revert to WTO rules.

A UK Government spokesman insisted the strict deadline set by Boris Johnson is “enshrined in UK law”, but a senior Tory has said the Prime Minister would “of course” be willing to extend the Transition Period if it became necessary.

Brexit talks were suspended following the outbreak of coronavirus across the globe, but the Government has said both sides are “fully committed” to the process. 

However, the source told the Mirror: “We could still get a deal done in time, but he will extend the transition if he has to. 

“They have to stick to the tough rhetoric now – just like they did in October – to keep the pressure on the EU.

“But if it comes to it, and a deal looks doable were it not for the coronavirus outbreak, then, of course, they’d delay.” 

A Cabinet Minister added to the point from the senior Tory official, stating there would always be a “political price to pay” if the transition period was extended, but that the coronavirus provided a “cover” for the situation. 

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It is thought the pandemic could change the way in which Brexit will develop throughout the year. 

Labour MP Stephen Kinnock has urged the Government to consider an extension in these exceptional circumstances.

He told Dominic Raab: “Rather than trying to fight this war on two fronts, if you like, and stretching government bandwidth to breaking point, surely the time is now coming to request an extension to the transition period and it’s better to do that than to put ideology ahead of the health and safety of the British people.”

But before talks were cancelled, former Brexit Secretary Mr Raab insisted: “We’re confident that we can get this done and, actually, I don’t think delaying Brexit negotiations would give anyone the certainty – on either side of the Channel – that they need.”

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