Boris Johnson’s dinner with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen – geared toward breaking the Brexit commerce impasse – has ended with out settlement.
A No 10 spokesperson stated “very massive gaps stay” however talks will proceed, with a “agency determination” by Sunday on whether or not a deal could be reached.
Mrs von der Leyen stated the 2 sides have been nonetheless “far aside”.
Talks between the UK’s chief negotiator Lord Frost and the EU’s Michel Barnier will resume in Brussels later.
The 2 negotiators additionally attended the three-hour dinner assembly between the 2 leaders.
The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg stated the night had “plainly gone badly” and the possibilities of the UK leaving the post-Brexit transition interval on the finish of the 12 months with no agency association was a “massive step nearer”.
Time is operating out to achieve a deal earlier than 31 December, when the UK stops following EU buying and selling guidelines.
Main disagreements stay on fishing rights, enterprise competitors guidelines and the way a deal will probably be policed.
The dinner was seen as a last-ditch alternative to work by way of the principle sticking factors and for the 2 sides to try to discover some widespread floor.
In an announcement, the UK aspect stated there had been “a frank dialogue concerning the vital obstacles which stay within the negotiations”.
“Very massive gaps stay between the 2 sides and it’s nonetheless unclear whether or not these could be bridged,” a No 10 spokesperson stated.
They stated the 2 sides had agreed to additional discussions over the following few days, and the PM did “not need to go away any path to a potential deal untested”.
“The PM and VDL [von der Leyen] agreed that by Sunday a agency determination must be taken about the way forward for the talks,” the spokesperson added.
Mrs von der Leyen stated the discussions had been “energetic and attention-grabbing”, and the 2 sides absolutely “perceive one another’s positions” however they “stay far aside”.
“We are going to decide by the top of the weekend,” she stated.
After the talks ended, MPs reacted to the information that there had not been any settlement.
“One 12 months after Boris Johnson promised us an oven-ready deal he has fully failed,” stated Labour’s deputy chief Angela Rayner. “The failure to ship the deal he promised is his and his alone.”
She was referring to the prime minister’s promise of getting an “oven-ready deal” on the final election. Earlier this week Mr Johnson stated the oven-ready deal he was referring to was the Withdrawal Settlement, or divorce deal, somewhat than a commerce deal.
SNP’s Westminster chief Ian Blackford tweeted: “A no deal could be an enormous failure of diplomacy and management which Boris Johnson has to take possession of.”
In the meantime, Tory Brexiteer MP John Baron stated the PM deserved reward for “standing agency” somewhat than compromising in a rush to agree a deal. “We should keep in mind a commerce deal is for retains, not only for Christmas,” he stated.
“All of us desire a deal, nevertheless it must be a very good deal as a result of as we’ve stated many instances earlier than, no deal is best than a nasty deal.”
Talking earlier than he left for Brussels, Boris Johnson stated the EU was insisting on phrases “no prime minister might settle for” in relation to entry to UK fishing waters and retaliatory measures if the UK diverged from EU requirements.
Any deal additionally must be ratified by the European Parliament and win the backing of MPs at Westminster.
The Home of Commons might sit as late as Christmas Eve ought to or not it’s required to take a look at a Brexit deal, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle stated.
Underneath present plans, the Commons will cease sitting on 21 December, however he instructed Sky Information the recess may very well be delayed.
