The Cabinet Office minister announced the decision on Friday, adding: “The moment for an extension has now passed.”
In a post on Twitter, Mr. Gove said he had chaired a “constructive” meeting of the EU Joint Committee with EU Commission Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations
He said: “I formally confirmed the UK would not extend the transition period & the moment for an extension has now passed. On January 1, 2021, we will take back control and regain our political & economic independence.”
The vice-president of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, said that Friday’s meeting of the EU-UK Joint Committee was “positive” but that there is still more to do.
M. Sefcovic: “I have to underline that the meeting took place in an excellent atmosphere. I am glad that we also had some positive results at the end of our discussions, which I believe would pave the way forward for the proper implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement.”
He added: “However, with some six months to go before the end of the transition period, we still have lots of work to do.”