Boris Johnson is playing a dangerous Brexit game. A transition extension is the only way to protect people’s health and livelihoods

To the prime minister, I say this: take the branch we are offering and do right by the people of this country

I recently launched Build Back Better, a new booklet of radical ideas for the Liberal Democrats in a post-coronavirus world. In among the 128-pages of policy and political reflection, I call for more cross-party working, particularly on the centre-left.

In the long term, working with other parties will help us all make progress on our common causes: protecting the environment and reducing inequality, for instance. In the much more immediate term, cross-party working, across the whole of parliament, is vital to prevent a damaging no-deal Brexit.

A no-deal Brexit means uncertainty for businesses. It means more job losses and reduced access to medication. I believe our country has suffered enough this year, without adding more misery on top. So, I believe that we, as a country, need to do everything we can to avoid no deal. And that means extending the transition period, to allow ourselves more time to negotiate a deal with the EU.

It’s not just Remain politicians who think this. The public thinks it too. All the excellent polling work by Best for Britain shows that people want the government to focus on the crisis in front of them and avoid a no-deal Brexit. This was particularly true in polling from the “red wall” seats, many of which will bear the brunt of the economic impact of a no-deal Brexit.

Unfortunately, our prime minister and government are yet to grasp this. They are so intent on leaving the EU on 31 December, by any means, that they are actively putting ideology ahead of people’s health and livelihoods.

Rather than focusing on the coronavirus response, they are redeploying resources back to no-deal planning, and refusing to take the opportunity to extend the transition period. This is an extraordinarily dangerous path to take the country on; and the prime minister is gambling with more than just his majority.

So what can we do, as the clock ticks down to 30 June (our deadline for requesting an extension)? Well, we managed to stop the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal once, and we can do it again. It isn’t too late.

I am leading a cross-party effort, teaming up with Labour backbenchers and Green, SNP and Plaid Cymru MPs on a bill that could pull us back from the brink. On Monday I presented the bill, which would revoke the government’s ban on itself requesting an extension and enable parliament, the people’s representatives, to have a say on whether to extend the transition period or not, beyond 30 June.

Neither the people nor parliament have had their say on Brexit and the transition period since coronavirus struck our country. It has had a devastating health and economic impact, and changed the way we think about so many aspects of life.

So, I hope politicians from across the Commons, including from the Conservative Party and the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, will join us in sending Boris Johnson a clear and simple message: it’s not too late. I hope they will join us in backing this bill and calling for a vote on extending this transition period, to ensuring the government is compelled to focus on the real crisis right now: the coronavirus pandemic.

To the prime minister, I say this: take this branch you’re being offered. Put the power in the hands of the people’s representatives, and then work with us to extend the transition period and do right by the people of this country, who have suffered enough this year.

Businesses can’t move forward under the threat of a no deal. People can’t move forward if they lose their jobs because of a no deal. Our health services can’t move forward if resources are removed to prepare for a no deal.

This debate needs to be had, these arguments need to be heard, and the transition period must be extended.

Layla Moran is the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon and a candidate for the party’s leadership