Johnson: No deal ‘very, very likely’
BORIS JOHNSON has warned it is “very, very likely” the UK will fail to strike a postBrexit trade deal with the European Union.
The Prime Minister said he was “hopeful” that progress could be made in talks but stressed the two sides remained stuck on fisheries and the so-called level-playing field. His comments came after European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the negotiating teams’ positions remained apart on “fundamental issues”.
The two leaders have agreed to make a decision on the future of the negotiations by the end of the weekend.
Speaking to reporters on a visit to Blyth in Northumberland, Mr Johnson said: “Unfortunately at the moment, as you know, there are two key things where we just can’t seem to make progress.
“And that’s this kind of ratchet clause they’ve got in to keep the UK locked in to whatever they want to do in terms of legislation, which obviously doesn’t work.
“And then there is the whole issue of fish where we’ve got to be able to take back control of our waters. So there is a way to go – we’re hopeful that progress can be made.
“But I’ve got to tell that from where I
stand now, here in Blyth, it is looking very, very likely that we will have to go for a solution that I think would be wonderful for the UK, and we’d be able to do exactly what we want from January.
“It obviously would be different from what we’d set out to achieve but I have no doubt this country can get ready and, as I say, come out on World Trade terms.”
Earlier Mrs von der Leyen said the UK would be free to decide whether to follow suit each time the EU changes its regulations – though if it refused the bloc would adapt the conditions for access to its markets.
The level-playing field measures aimed at preventing the UK undercutting the EU on standards and state subsidies have proved a major stumbling block in the talks throughout. On fisheries, the Commission president said the UK and EU have “not yet found the solutions to bridge our differences” and urged the Government to “understand the legitimate expectations of EU fishing fleets built on decades, and sometimes centuries, of access”.
“On these and other points, our negotiators are working. We will decide on Sunday whether we have the conditions for an agreement or not.”
She added: “One way or the other, in less than three weeks it will be new beginnings for old friends.”
French president Emmanuel Macron meanwhile insisted he was not demanding to “have my cake and eat it” in response to a question on the EU’s proposals that the bloc’s fishermen would be able to continue to access UK waters for a year in a no-deal.
Chief negotiators Michel Barnier and Lord Frost are continuing talks in Brussels after Mr Johnson and Mrs von der Leyen agreed at a dinner on Wednesday to resume negotiations ahead of a decision on the future of talks this weekend.