MPs could sit over Christmas to get agreement across line

MPs could have to sit between Christmas and New Year if the trade negotiations drag on.

Officials have drawn up emergency plans to keep the Commons open if a deal is not struck in good time before the final December 31 deadline.

Parliament has not sat on Christmas Day since 1656 – at the height of Oliver Cromwell’s Puritan rule of England.

If a trade deal is agreed with the EU, it must pass through both Houses of Parliament before the transition period finishes at the end of the year.

Senior government sources said they hoped everything would be finalised by Christmas Eve. There are no plans to make MPs sit on Christmas Day, but they could be called back to Parliament on Monday December 28. MPs could even ratify the deal on New Year’s Eve – a day before any trade deal would take effect.

A source said: ‘Anything’s possible. Parliament will do whatever it takes to get any deal on to the statute book. It has shown it is able to move quickly if it needs to and that certainly applies here.

‘Parliament won’t be the block on passing a Brexit deal this time around. We’ll sit through the Christmas week if needed. In a scenario where we reached an agreement with the EU and implementation has to happen before the end of the transition period, we’re confident Parliament would implement it in time.’

No date has officially been set for the start of the Christmas recess, although Thursday December 1 has been pencilled in. But that depends on the outcome of negotiations, so it could be pushed back until the last moment.

A source said: ‘Parliament keeps on sitting until the Government tables a recess motion and that won’t happen until we are confident all loose ends have been tied up.’