Brexit deal: So what did the UK manage to agree with the EU?

Britain and the EU finally agreed the long-awaited – and long haggled-over – Brexit deal today.  But it is more the end of the beginning, with politicians, trade experts and industry leaders ready to pour over the pages of the agreement in the coming days. It’s the document the (political) world has been waiting for … Read more

STEPHEN GLOVER: It has cost four Tory Premiers their jobs… but at long last, a sigh of relief 

Are we there? Have we finally made it? As I write, there are reports that we are inching towards a final deal with the European Union, and may have even got across the line. British negotiator David Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier have been photographed disappearing into a locked room in Brussels, where … Read more

So what did we manage to agree with the EU?

It’s the document the (political) world has been waiting for – and it’s feared to be no fewer than 2,000 pages long. Last night EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart Lord Frost were still combing through the Brexit trade deal, line by line. Some feared it would never materialise. But the world … Read more

No Deal Brexit looms as the EU mounts a last-minute ‘ambush’ over fishing rights

No Deal Brexit looms as the EU mounts a last-minute ‘ambush’ over fishing rights and negotiations are ‘expected to finish by Christmas one way or another’ Government sources said it was ‘widely accepted’ no agreement was imminent No 10 was infuriated by ultimatum from EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier Would have allowed Brussels to impose … Read more

Ferries are blocked by protesting fishing boats in Whitehall wargame preparing for no-deal

Ferries were confronted by a blockade of protesting fishing boats, care homes were shut down and a gang of bandits hijacked a vaccine shipment in a no-deal Brexit tabletop exercise.  Post-Brexit wargame Operation Capstone also saw medicines heading for hospitals battling with mounting Covid-19 cases stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier yesterday warned there … Read more

Michel Barnier says there are just ‘a few hours’ to get a Brexit breakthrough

Michel Barnier says there are just ‘a few hours’ to get a Brexit breakthrough and the path is ‘very narrow’ as UK warns EU’s demanding on fishing rights are ‘unreasonable’ Michel Barnier has updated MEPs on the state of play in the Brexit negotiations Mr Barnier said there are ‘just a few hours’ left to … Read more

Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen set for Brexit call tonight

Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen will discuss the state of post-Brexit trade talks in a crunch phone call this evening.  The Prime Minister is expected to speak to the President of the European Commission at 7pm UK time. The conversation has been billed as a ‘stocktake’ rather than the moment of breakthrough or … Read more

Michael Gove says chances of Brexit trade deal ‘less than 50 per cent’

Michael Gove today warned the chances of the UK and the EU agreeing a post-Brexit trade deal by Sunday are ‘less than 50 per cent’.  The Minister for the Cabinet Office told MPs on the Brexit Select Committee that currently ‘the chances are more likely that we won’t secure an agreement’.  His comments came after … Read more

Michel Barnier says Brexit trade talks are now in the ‘final stretch’

Michel Barnier says Brexit trade talks are now in the ‘final stretch’ but warns ‘stumbling blocks remain’ after Boris Johnson tells MPs they could be called back from Christmas break to vote for deal Michel Barnier said this morning ‘good progress’ has been made in trade talks He said talks are now in the ‘final … Read more