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Politics Explained

Was Brexit the root cause of the arrival of Indian Covid variant?

Critics ask if PM’s hope for trade deal led to delay in shutting down travel, writes Andrew Woodcock

Saturday 15 May 2021 21:30 BST
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<p>Boris Johnson’s scheduled trade talks trip to India was twice cancelled due to rising Covid rates</p>

Boris Johnson’s scheduled trade talks trip to India was twice cancelled due to rising Covid rates

To the already long list of harmful impacts of Brexit on the UK, it appears that we may have to add the arrival of the Indian coronavirus variant in the UK.

Although the link may initially seem far-fetched, there’s a roundabout way in which withdrawal from the European Union may be said to have helped usher the B1.617.2 variant into Britain.

The roots of the issue lie in trade, and in Boris Johnson’s desperate need to find a substitute for the lost EU exports sacrificed on the altar of Brexit.

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