NO SURPRISE ... BREXIT TALKS TO DRAG ON
DEADLOCKED Brexit trade talks are set to run into the Christmas holidays after negotiators missed another deadline for wrapping up the treaty talks.
British and Brussels diplomats remained at loggerheads, with the European Union refusing to back down over hard- line demands on fishing and rules covering industrial subsidies.
The epic wrangle is now expected to continue throughout this week and beyond after the two sides missed yesterday’s deadline set by MEPs.
Ministers now believe a series of UK- EU minideals may be needed to keep trade functioning in the New Year without a deal.
A Government source yesterday said the EU was “still struggling to get the flexibility needed from member states” to make a deal possible.
They added: “We need to get any deal right and based on terms which respect what the British people voted for.
“But without a substantial shift from the commission we will leave on World Trade Organisation terms on December 31.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday insisted the EU needed to budge for a deal to be done.
He said: “I’m sure that a deal can be done, but obviously it needs movement on the EU side.
“I also think that the EU demands are unreasonable.”
Hard- line coastal states, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, were blamed for leaving the trade talks teetering on the brink of collapse.
They are blocking any hope of a compromise on future fishing quotas.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier spent yesterday locked in talks with Lord Frost, his UK counterpart, in a bid to break the deadlock.
One Brussels official said: “The stances of both sides haven’t moved. Unless Boris Johnson decides to back down, we are heading for a no- deal over fish.”
An EU diplomat said President Macron would block any future concessions because he feels too much ground on the totemic issue has already been given.
Mr Barnier was said to have made a final offer to guarantee Britain 25 per cent of the £ 590million worth of fish caught by European boats in our coastal waters this year.
Ignored
The new arrangements would be phased in over seven years, with the ability to slap Britain with punitive tariffs if EU fishermen are locked out of UK waters in the future.
With Britain rejecting the plans, the insider added: “My guess is no deal, with the potential of returning for talks after Christmas depending on public opinion in the UK.”
Meanwhile, furious MEPs voiced their frustrations at being largely ignored by negotiators. The EU Parliament said that, unless an agreement was reached yesterday by midnight, it would refuse to ratify the deal before December 31.
German MEP Bernd Lange, trade committee chair, said failure to agree a deal yesterday left the EU Parliament unable to scrutinise the detail before the end of the transition period. He said: “So make preparations now for a no- deal period and agree emergency measures with the UK.”
French Europe minister Clement Beaune, a close ally of President Macron, said member states were prepared to give the talks a few more days.
He said: “We want a good agreement that protects our fishermen and level playing field rules. The negotiations should be concluded in the next few days.”