by Boris Johnson will board a plane to Brussels on Wednesday afternoon
Boris Johnson will fly to Brussels later today to meet with the EU Commission president, as the last hope for an EU trade agreement hangs in the balance.
The prime minister will arrive in Brussels for dinner with Ursula von der Leyen in an eleventh-hour bid to unblock trade negotiations, ahead of a summit by EU leaders in the Belgian capital on Thursday.
There was goodwill evident on both sides of the Channel on Tuesday night after an agreement in principle was reached with regards to the Northern Ireland border, in which the UK agreed to drop controversial legislation from the Internal Market Bill which would have broken international law.
But Michel Barnier is thought to have told EU foreign ministers he now believes that a no-deal Brexit is more likely than a last-minute trade deal being agreed between the two nations, according to overnight reports by the PA news agency.
Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen will meet for the make-or-break meal in the EU Commissions Berlaymont headquarters, with the PM set to depart for the Belgian capital after taking part in Prime Ministers Questions.
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No deal more likely, warns Barnier
As Boris Johnson prepares to head to Brussels, it has been reported that the EUs chief Brexit negotiator believes no deal is now looking more likely than an agreement being reached.
According to overnight reports from the Press Association, Michel Barnier warned EU foreign ministers late on Tuesday that he now thinks a no-deal departure from the UK is more likely than a trade agreement being brokered in time.
Both Mr Johnson and Mr Barnier have acknowledged that talks have reached a very difficult point, in which it seems neither will back down on a list of points – including, of course, fishing rights.
It was reported on Tuesday that Mr Barnier had told officials that talks could not and would not continue past Wednesday, however a spokesman for the EU Commission said yesterday that the European bloc would be open to continuing negotiations into 2021 if it meant coming to a formal agreement.
Mr Barnier tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that we will never sacrifice our future for the present and that access to our market comes with conditions in a clear signal to the UK that the EU will not bow to its demands.
Sam Hancock9 December 2020 08:24
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Johnson to fly to Brussels after PMQs today
A Brexit deal on Northern Ireland has cleared the way for talks between Boris Johnson and the EU Commission president on Wednesday, as the last hope for an EU trade agreement hangs in the balance.
The prime minister will head to Brussels after taking part in PMQs where he will have dinner with Ursula von der Leyen in an eleventh-hour bid to unblock trade negotiations, ahead of a summit by EU leaders in the Belgian capital on Thursday.
However, it is still not clear whether the UK and EU will be able to resolve intractable issues on regulations, dispute settlement and fishing that have so far made a free-trade agreement impossible, according to reports by our policy correspondent, Jon Stone, and our political editor, Andrew Woodcock:
Pair will meet over dinner on Wednesday evening following breakthrough on Northern Ireland protocol
Sam Hancock9 December 2020 08:06
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Hello, and welcome to The Independents rolling coverage of the Brexit negotiations.
Sam Hancock9 December 2020 07:51
