[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by jonbxx

The trade deal assumptions were written in the Political Declaration which we promptly shredded after the election

The WA states:

NOTING that in parallel with this Agreement, the Parties have made a Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,

CONSIDERING that there is a need for both the United Kingdom and the Union to take all necessary steps to begin as soon as possible from the date of entry into force of this Agreement, the formal negotiations of one or several agreements governing their future relationship with a view to ensuring that, to the extent possible, those agreements apply from the end of the transition period,

The UK's legal advisors would likely have advised that the EU are not negotiating in good faith and thus the WA falls to the extent that a trade deal would otherwise have enshrined - if you get my meaning.