Summary

  • PM Boris Johnson says the UK and EU are "still very far apart" on key issues relating to a post-Brexit deal, and the UK must be ready to trade on WTO terms

  • Mr Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to continue trade talks beyond Sunday's deadline

  • In a joint statement, the leaders said it was "responsible at this point to go the extra mile"

  • The pair discussed "major unresolved topics" during a phone call, which Mrs von der Leyen called "constructive and useful"

  • But three "critical issues" remain: fishing rights, government support for industry and how a deal is enforced

  • Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the talks on Brexit trade remained "finely balanced"

  • French fishing fleets would have "zero assured access" to UK waters in the event of no deal, Mr Raab said

  • The UK left the EU on 31 January, but remains under its trading rules until the end of the year

  1. Analysis: Will tariffs mean higher prices for shoppers?published at 11:55 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    Dharshini David
    Economics Correspondent

    Woman at supermarketImage source, Getty Images

    An key impact of a Brexit no deal for consumers will be on prices. Over a quarter of our food comes from the EU, much of which will face extra import charges - or tariffs - typically of over 15%. Cars too will be hit by tariffs of 10%.

    Retailers are likely to pass some of that to us.

    The government is mindful of that. One thing it could do is to temporarily relax some tariffs - it would have to do the same for all countries with which the UK hasn’t got a deal.

    That had, until earlier this year, been the contingency plan. It would ease some of the pressure on consumers and retailers but would be unpopular with domestic producers e.g. farmers and manufacturers, whom tariffs are designed to protect from foreign competition

    Other factors will also impact the prices we pay for imports, from disruption at the border, to movements in the exchange rate. Some traders are warning that the value of the pound will fall in the event of a no-deal which would push up those prices.

  2. 'Responsible to go extra mile', PM and EU Commission president saypublished at 11:51 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    A joint statement has just been released from Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, saying talks will continue.

    "We had a useful phone call this morning.

    "We discussed the major unresolved topics.

    "Our negotiating teams have been working day and night over recent days.

    "And despite the exhaustion after almost a year of negotiations, despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over, we think it is responsible at this point to go the extra mile.

    "We have accordingly mandated our negotiators to continue the talks and to see whether an agreement can, even at this late stage, be reached."

    Mrs von der Leyen added that the negotiations would continue in Brussels.

  3. Post-Brexit trade talks continue - von der Leyenpublished at 11:48 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020
    Breaking

    Ursula von der LeyenImage source, EPA

    European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is speaking in Brussels after her phone call with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

    "We both think it is responsible at this point in time to go the extra mile," she says, confirming that post-Brexit trade deal negotiations will continue in Brussels.

  4. UK Cabinet meeting scheduled shortlypublished at 11:34 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    We're told a conference call with Cabinet ministers will be held following Boris Johnson's call with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

    For some, this could signal a turn for the worse in the negotiations over a post-Brexit trade deal, while others may see it as a sign talks will continue.

    Johnson and von der Leyen are due to release a statement shortly following their phone conversation this morning.

  5. Watch: Still possible at '11th hour' to secure a deal, Ireland's Taoiseach sayspublished at 11:32 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    Media caption,

    Micheál Martin: 'Even at the 11th hour...the capacity exists for a deal'

    It is still possible to secure a good Brexit deal "that is in all our interests", Ireland's Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, has said.

    He told the Andrew Marr Show: "Even at the 11th hour, in a very difficult negotiation around level playing field and fisheries, the capacity in my view still exists for the United Kingdom government and European Union and their negotiating teams to conclude a deal that is in all our interests for the longer term."

  6. Business 'won't know the price' of goodspublished at 11:25 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    British Chambers of Commerce president Baroness Ruby McGregor-SmithImage source, Ed Robinson/OneRedEye
    Image caption,

    British Chambers of Commerce president Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith

    Businesses are facing a huge degree of uncertainty as Brexit talks teeter on a knife-edge.

    Many won't even know what the price of their goods will be, according to British Chambers of Commerce president Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith.

    "We're not going to know what tariffs are going to be imposed on any goods leaving or coming into the country, meaning we won't know the price," she told Sky News.

    "What we've seen in the pandemic is huge amounts of support given but we still have a significant number of industries shut down. On top of this we don't know how we're going to be trading from 1 January."

    She added there "could be some significant job losses" compounded by a "lack of government support after March as we come out of the pandemic".

  7. Johnson and von der Leyen call happening nowpublished at 11:18 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020
    Breaking

    We're told a phone call between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is now under way.

    A statement of some sort is expected to be issued following the call and could come as soon as 11:30 GMT.

    We'll have all the latest updates as soon as they happen and you can also watch live coverage on the News Channel on BBC iPlayer.

  8. Marr challenges Raab on free trade promisepublished at 11:14 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    Media caption,

    Marr challenges Raab on broken promises over free trade deal

    Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been challenged by Andrew Marr on a promise he made during the Vote Leave campaign in 2016 that free trade would never stop between the UK and the EU.

    On Sunday, Raab agreed that no deal would mean no longer having the "advantages" of a free trade agreement.

    He said that if the UK is "forced" into a no-deal position, it will be because the EU has changed its mind on key issues.

  9. Merkel says everything possible should be done to secure dealpublished at 11:13 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    Angela Merkel on SundayImage source, EPA

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said everything possible should be done to agree a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and European Union.

    "It feels to me code for keep talking," our Europe correspondent Kevin Connolly says, he adds that it feels more and more possible that there will not be an end today - and that further talks may come before the final 31 December deadline.

    "At some point in this two week period they are going to have to decide 'for now, a deal cannot be done'," our correspondent adds. "Whatever happens, we are not done with the talking one way or another."

  10. Watch: No deal would be 'disastrous', Ed Miliband sayspublished at 11:04 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    Media caption,

    Brexit deal: Andrew Marr and Ed Miliband clash over fishing rights

    Labour's shadow business secretary, Ed Miliband, has told the Andrew Marr Show that "both sides have to compromise" to secure a deal.

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are due to speak at 11:00 GMT to decide if a deal can be done, with the main sticking point being how close the UK should stick to EU economic rules in the future.

    Miliband told Andrew Marr that no deal would be "a disastrous outcome for the country".

  11. Car makers tells suppliers to stockpile partspublished at 10:57 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    Bentley carImage source, Getty Images

    Car makers have told suppliers to stockpile at least five days worth of parts in case of a no deal Brexit, according to the Sunday Times.

    It says that luxury car company Bentley is building up at least a month's worth of stock , externalthough such moves are contributing to major delays at British ports.

    The car industry is already grappling with stock shortages including both Honda and Jaguar Land Rover, which were both recently forced to pause production.

    Quote Message

    "My motto is panic early and slowly rather than late and fast."

    Adrian Hallmark, Chief executive at Bentley

  12. Statement will follow Johnson von der Leyen callpublished at 10:45 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    Katya Adler
    Europe Editor

    A statement is expected following the call between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

    It will happen shortly after 11:30 GMT.

  13. Where now for the pound?published at 10:26 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    The Andrew Marr Show

    Sterling notes and coins and dollarsImage source, PA Media

    If the UK and the EU fail to reach a Brexit agreement, there will be a great deal of focus on the value of pound.

    Back in June 2016, when the UK voted to leave the European Union, sterling plunged against the dollar and it has been volatile since though it has never managed to surpass $1.50 against the dollar.

    The pound v the dollar over five years
    Image caption,

    The pound v the dollar over five years

    Over the past week, the pound has been buffeted by the changing language emerging from the Brexit negotiations and is currently trading around $1.32.

    So what does Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expect to happen to the pound?

    "There has already been currency fluctuations. Of course there's a flip side temporarily for that, it is a boost to exporters but obviously it has a challenge domestically," he told The Andrew Marr Show.

    When currency markets in Asia open this evening, we'll get our first indication of the scale of those challenges.

  14. Johnson and von der Leyen to speak after 11am UK timepublished at 10:18 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    There's some more detail now on the phone call later between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

    Her spokesman Eric Mamer says the call will be around noon Brussels time - so that's 11:00 GMT.

    We'll bring you all the updates on the call as they are released by the two sides.

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  15. No deal 'could mean no UK waters access for France'published at 10:10 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    The Andrew Marr Show

    During his interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said French fishing fleets would have "zero assured access" to UK waters in the event of no deal between the UK and EU.

    He added that this meant it would be "crazy", from a French point of view, for no agreement to be reached.

  16. EU 'shouldn't cause suffering' to its own sidepublished at 10:07 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    The Andrew Marr Show

    If the UK is "forced" into a no-deal position, it will be because the EU has changed its mind on key issues, Dominic Raab says.

    It's "absurd" that the EU would allow German carmakers and French farmers to "suffer" because of this, he adds.

    On potential disruption to UK medical supplies, Raab says there may be "shifts" if there is no deal but the NHS has many systems in place to prevent this.

    That ends the foreign secretary's interview.

  17. UK 'won't be less less safe' with no dealpublished at 09:58 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    The Andrew Marr Show

    Dominic Raab says the UK will not be less safe without a trade deal. He says EU security restrictions are less strong than those the UK wants to enforce.

    The UK will continue to work with EU partners whatever happens in EU-UK talks, the foreign secretary promises.

    On agriculture, Raab says tariffs would be "very damaging on the EU side".

  18. Extra Royal Navy ships in Channel - Raabpublished at 09:56 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    The Andrew Marr Show

    Asked about reports that Royal Navy vessels will patrol the English Channel to enforce fishing rules, Dominic Raab says "extra vessels have been agreed" because the UK will have to "enforce our own waters" if there's no trade deal.

    This would be done in a "proportionate way", he tells Andrew Marr, adding that the UK is "pragmatic".

  19. Raab: EU must move on key issuespublished at 09:55 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020

    The Andrew Marr Show

    Dominic Raab

    Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says the EU has to "move" on the key sticking points in post-Brexit trade talks - business competition rules and fishing rights.

    He calls for "clarity" on this, adding that talks can still progress if the impasse is broke..

    Raab accuses the EU of "shifting the goalposts" on trade.

    Talks are "very finely balanced", he says.

  20. Johnson and von der Leyen to speak around lunchtimepublished at 09:48 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2020
    Breaking

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to speak around lunchtime on Sunday with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen about the future of the post-Brexit trade talks.

    The negotiations started again in Brussels at 08:00 GMT, officials have confirmed.