PM’s Brexit appeal

Johnson to issue EU leaders with ‘take it or leave it’ message

Johnson will try to force the pace of Brexit talks by telling the EU that Britain will opt for no deal unless there is a sign of agreement by the end of next month,

The head of the World Trade Organisation warned the prime minister on Sunday, however, that relying on WTO terms under no deal would slow Britain’s recovery from coronavirus, saying that sticking closer to present arrangements would be better for jobs.

Roberto Azevedo, directorgeneral of the WTO, said the car industry and agriculture would be hit hard by failure to secure a deal as they would be subject to heavy tariffs under default trade rules.

Mr Johnson wants to agree a deal that keeps tariff-free access to EU markets, but he has insisted that Britain has nothBORIS ing to fear by trading on WTO terms, to which relations would default if no agreement was reached by January 1.

In a video call today with European Council president Charles Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and European parliament president David Sassoli, Mr Johnson will urge “renewed energy and commitment” in negotiations.

Five weeks of talks are due to begin on June 29, and Mr Johnson will express hope a breakthrough can be made on fishing rights and the EU’s insistence Britain follow Brussels rules in areas such as state aid.

However, the prime minister will say if there is no sign of a deal it will be better to give business certainty about future rules by planning for no deal.

Speaking on the BBC, Mr

Azevedo said: “The less disruption the better. So if you can maintain the degree of integration and relationship that you had before Brexit, it is less traumatic than if you have to go to WTO terms.”

While WTO terms were “not a catastrophe”, he said that they “will impose a number of adjustments, and those can be painful, particularly for some sectors”.