Brexit deal ‘must be done by autumn’

Johnson will outline limit at high-level talks ‘to end uncertainty’ for Britons and business community

BORIS JOHNSON will tell European Union leaders today they must conclude Brexit talks by autumn “at the latest” to give certainty to companies affected by the UK’S exit from the EU.

The Prime Minister, Michael Gove and David Frost, the PM’S chief Brexit negotiator, are having “high-level talks” with Charles Michel, president of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission and David Sassoli, president of the European Parliament.

The Political Declaration agreed between the UK and EU last autumn set out that the meeting must “take stock of progress with the aim of agreeing actions to move forward in negotiations on the future relationship”.

There will now be talks in each week of the five weeks between June 29 and July 27 to try to strike a deal.

No 10 sources said yesterday Mr Johnson “will make it clear that the negotiation now needs to be swiftly concluded, with certainty provided to the public and businesses by the autumn at the latest”.

The timeline is later than a deadline of “the end of summer” that was being briefed by No10 late last week.

Mr Johnson will use the videoconference meeting to press for a “high quality free trade agreement” (FTA) = “consistent with others the EU have agreed, as part of a balanced overall outcome”.

He will make clear that the UK will be prepared to leave the EU “whatever happens” on Dec 21, the end of the implementation period which followed the UK’S exit on Jan 31 this year.

Last week, the UK formally told the EU it would not be seeking an extension to the implementation period.

A Government spokesman said: “We now need to get this resolved and deliver certainty for businesses at home and in the EU as soon as possible.

‘There’s a high quality FTA to be done, based on the agreements the EU has already reached with other countries. But, whatever happens, we will be ready for January 1, when we will be back in control of our laws, borders and money.’”

The EU will counter that Michel Barnier, its chief negotiator, has been saying for months that Brussels needs a deal by October to allow time to get it ratified by the European Parliament.

Both sides have expressed hope the meeting will bring fresh impetus and a breakthrough over fishing rights and a level playing field over regulations.

However, sources in Brussels are not expecting that to happen with EU leaders preoccupied with coronavirus.

Raoul Ruperel, a former special adviser to the PM on Europe, told The Daily Telegraph that without any movement on fishing, a level playing field and state aid rules “there is real risk the negotiations, even with an increased pace, struggle to make any breakthroughs – which would increase the risk of there being no agreement”.

Shanker Singham, a former Brexit adviser to Liam Fox when he was trade secretary, added the EU had to grasp “that the UK is prepared to trade some economic loss in exchange for independence, and it simply will not be an associated state, like Turkey or the Mediterranean countries.

“Once the EU understands this, then landing zones become possible for state aids, fisheries and even for the Northern Ireland Protocol, three of the most intractable areas at present.”

Yesterday, Nigel Farage, the former Brexit Party leader, said that he was maintaining a “watching brief ” on the talks.

He said he feared last week’s decision by the UK only to offer light touch checks on goods coming into the UK from the Continent from January was “the first slip” in a softening of Brexit.

He added: “If they slip on Brexit then there will be a new insurgent political party in British politics.”

‘Whatever happens, we will be ready for January 1, when we will be in control of our laws, borders and money’