EU chief negotiator back in town for informal Brexit talks

The European Union’ s chief negotiator Michel Barnier will visit London today for informal talks with the UK Government as efforts continue to strike a post-brexit trade deal.

The visit is intended to prepare for next week’ s formal negotiating round, but comes with relations between Boris Johnson’s government and Brussels under severe strain.

A row over the UK’ s apparent readiness to break international law by tearing up parts of the Brexit divorce deal relating to Northern Ireland has soured relations.

Talks on a trade deal are continuing, but both sides have said major stumbling blocks remain and time is running out to get an agreement. Agreement will need to be reached by the end of next month to ratify the deal and have it in place when the existing transition arrangements expire at the end of the year.

The Prime Minister’ s official spokesman said Mr Barnier’s visit was part of the informal talks process which both the UK and the EU committed to.

“You have seen a number of these informal discussions both in Brussels and in London in recent weeks ,” the spokesman said .“We have always stressed that we believe a deal is possible and we will continue to work hard on securing a deal.”