Holding out for deal

BRUSSELS: The EU’S chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said yesterday he would continue intensive talks with Britain over the coming weeks to strike a deal and that the bloc was ready to continue talks “until the last possible day”.

“We want to give these discussions every chance of being successful so that we secure an agreement,” he said after EU leaders discussed the impasse over an agreement on future relations between Brussels and London. He said he would be in touch with his British counterpart today.