Brexit: Trade talks 'unlikely' to go beyond Sunday, says Dominic Raab

UK-EU talks to reach a post-Brexit trade deal are "unlikely" to continue after Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said.

His comments come after a meeting between Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen aimed at breaking the Brexit trade deadlock.

Mrs von der Leyen said she had a "good conversation but it is difficult".

The EU has set out the measures it would take in the event of a no-deal scenario with the UK.

The plans aim to ensure that UK and EU air and road connections still run after the UK stops following EU trading rules on 31 December.

They also allow the possibility of fishing access to each other's waters for up to a year, or until an agreement is reached.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "We would never accept arrangements and access to UK fishing waters which are incompatible with our status as an independent coastal state."

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Talks between the UK's chief negotiator Lord Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier resumed in Brussels on Thursday.

The main obstacles continue to be access to fishing waters, rules about subsidising businesses and how any new deal would be policed.

Brexit - The basics

• Brexit happened but rules didn't change at once: The UK left the European Union on 31 January 2020, but leaders needed time to negotiate a deal for life afterwards - they got 11 months.

• Talks are happening: The UK and the EU have until 31 December 2020 to agree a trade deal as well as other things, such as fishing rights.

• If there is no deal: Border checks and taxes will be introduced for goods travelling between the UK and the EU. But deal or no deal, we will still see changes.

Speaking in the House of Commons, minister Penny Mordaunt insisted that the UK would "leave no stone unturned" and will "carry on negotiating until there is no hope".

Later on Thursday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged the PM to "get on and deliver" a deal, adding the outstanding issues "are capable of resolution".

Asked whether his party would back a deal in a vote in the Commons, he said: "We will look at it - and we will act in the national interest."

"But on a straight choice between no deal and deal, then deal is clearly in the national interest," he added.

Addressing MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was "deeply and increasingly concerned" about a "lack of clarity" on what arrangements will apply after 31 December.

'Gloomy'

Arriving at an EU summit in Brussels, Mrs von der Leyen said: "We are willing to grant access to the single market to our British friends - the largest single market in the world - but the conditions have to be fair and they have to be fair for our workers and our companies."

"This fine balance of fairness has not been achieved so far," she said, adding that negotiators were still working and that a decision would be taken on Sunday.

The Irish PM, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, said that no one understated the challenges that lie ahead.

"But it's important for the citizens of Europe that we do everything we can to get an agreement here," he said.

Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he was more "gloomy" about the trade talks following Wednesday night's meeting.

Speaking to the BBC earlier, Mr Raab said: "We are rapidly approaching the point where we need some finality."

And asked if talks would go beyond Sunday, he said it was "unlikely" but added "never quite say never when you are negotiating with the EU".

Responding to a warning from the Tesco chair that food prices could rise were a deal not to be agreed, Mr Raab acknowledged there could be "some bumps along the road" but said he was "not concerned about either supermarket cupboards running bare or food prices".

• What happens if there's no trade deal?

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• Brexit: Seven things that will change on 1 January

The EU statement, published on Thursday morning, outlines some of the plans in place if there is no deal, and it says some sectors would be more affected than others.

Provision for air travel, allowing aviation safety certificates, connectivity for road freight and passenger transport for six months, and reciprocal fishing access are included in the document.

After 31 December, many things will change regardless of whether or not a deal is reached.

UK travellers could be barred from entering the EU from 1 January as travel rules associated with being part of the EU expire and Covid restrictions block entry.

In the event of a no-deal scenario, prices of goods could go up - that's because the UK and EU are likely to impose import taxes (known as tariffs) on products crossing the border.

There could also be delays at the border as, without an agreement on food standards, freight is more likely to be stopped for checks.

A Downing Street spokesman said that the government had put "extensive preparations" in place for the end of the transition period to secure supply chains.

Asked whether families should ensure their fridges were well stocked at the end of December, the spokesman said: "We have a resilient supply chain, that will continue to be the case after the transition period ends, whether that's with a free-trade agreement or otherwise."

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