UK 'hopeful' for post-Brexit trade deal

London, UK – Britain still wants to reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union despite the current deadlock, a senior government minister insisted ahead of fresh talks Monday.

The UK had imposed a deadline of last week's EU summit for a deal, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was ready to walk away and prepare for a nodeal exit after five decades of EU membership.

However, senior minister Michael Gove said on Sunday he was still hopeful there would be an agreement, telling TV interviewers the door remained 'ajar' if the EU would change its position.

The two sides disagree on the rules for fair competition, how these rules will be policed and how much access EU fishing fleets will get to UK waters.

Britain wants to reassert sovereignty over its waters and have no EU legal oversight over the deal - insisting it wants a simple trade deal of the kind the EU signed with Canada.

But the European Union says Britain's situation is completely different to that of Canada.