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WORLD NEWS Monday 20 January 2020
UK treasury chief: Some businesses may hurt after Brexit

By GREGORY KATZ said. day.
LONDON (AP) — The Brit- The Society of Motor Manu- But Johnson's Conservative
ish government has an- facturers and Traders em- government is no longer
nounced plans for special phasized the need to avoid actively pushing a plan to
events on the night of Jan. high tariffs and other trade have the familiar chimes
31 when the country offi- barriers once EU ties are of the Big Ben clock tower
cially leaves the European severed. at Parliament sound at
Union but the country's Chief executive Mike 11 p.m. despite a private
treasury chief has admit- Hawes said "billions" would fundraising push in support
ted that some U.K. business be added to the cost of of activating the chimes,
sectors will suffer as a result. business development un- which are under repair.
Sajid Javid told the Finan- less a mutually beneficial Britain voted in a 2016 refer-
cial Times in an interview agreement is reached. endum to become the first
Saturday that Britain's regu- Britain will officially leave nation to leave the 28-na-
lations will not be aligned the EU bloc on the night of tion EU, but the process has
with the EU in the future Jan. 31, even though it will moved more slowly than
and that those changes keep following EU rules for expected. A stalemate last Anti Brexit campaigner Steve Bray demonstrates outside Par-
liament in London, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. Britain is due to
may hurt some businesses. an 11-month transition pe- year kept a withdrawal bill leave the European Union on Jan. 31.
Currently the EU is Britain's riod. It will be the first nation from passing, leading to a Associated Press
largest trading partner. ever to leave the bloc. The rare December election
"There will not be alignment, British government plans to that gave Johnson's pro- Parliament convened. A nations.
we will not be a rule-taker, mark the occasion with a Brexit Conservative Party transition period will last un- Johnson, who is also seek-
we will not be in the single series of upbeat events. a strong majority in Parlia- til the end of 2020 as nego- ing a trade deal with the
market and we will not be British Prime Minister Boris ment. tiators try to forge a trade United States, has ruled out
in the customs union — and Johnson plans to make a The Brexit divorce bill quick- arrangement between Brit- seeking an extension of the
we will do this by the end of speech to the nation that ly passed when the new ain and the remaining EU deadline for the EU talks.q
the year," he said, referring night after holding a rare
to a deadline at the end of cabinet session in the north
2020 for conclusion of what of England to empha-
are expected to be con- size his government's plan
tentious trade talks with the to spread opportunity to
then-27 member EU. that economically belea-
Javid's comments sparked guered region.
fresh concerns among busi- The government also plans
ness leaders worried about to mark Brexit by project-
that lack of clarity on the ing a clock onto the prime
substance of the trade minister's official residence
rules that would take effect at 10 Downing Street in Lon-
in less than 12 months time. don that will count down
Food and Drink Federation until 11 p.m., when the
chief Tim Rycroft warned break takes place.
that diverging from EU rules The entire government
could lead to higher food neighborhood of White-
prices for consumers. hall is to be illuminated for
"It will mean businesses will the occasion as part of a
have to adjust to costly light show, with Union flags
new checks, processes and flown on all the poles in Par-
procedures, that will act liament Square. The gov-
as a barrier to friction-less ernment will also create a
trade with the EU and may commemorative coin that
well result in price rises," he will enter circulation that