Brexit deal ‘must be done by October’

A post-brexit trade agreement between the UK and the European Union must be achieved “in October at the latest”, the EU has reiterated.

A spokesman for the EU Commission said the EU wanted an “ambitious and fair partnership with the UK”, but a deal must be achieved by the end of October for it to be ratified in time. On Monday, a No.10spokesmansaidthegovernment was still confident a deal could be reached in September. The comments come ahead of the latest round of negotiations between the UK and the EU, which began yesterday evening and continue until Friday.

Asked whether the EU was confident a deal could be achieved next month, an EU Commission spokesman said:

“The important thing to note – and I would point you first of all back to what Michel Barnier himself said in London at the end of the last round of negotiations – that, first of all, we want a deal, we want to have an ambitious and fair partnership with the UK, and that we must come to an agreement in October at the latest.”

The UK has ruled out extending the December deadline to reach a deal.