Hopes the Brexit deal will ‘roll back’ as the deadline for the deal approaches

THE BREXIT TALKS MUST continue today amid warnings that the prospect of a breakthrough is “receding.”

Negotiations between the UK and the EU appeared to stall yesterday, with Britain claiming that Brussels was asking for further concessions at the last minute.

And with the Brexit transition period ending on December 31, there is little time to reach an agreement agreed by negotiators and approved by the leaders of the EU, Westminster and the European Parliament.

A senior UK government source said: “At 11 o’clock, the EU is bringing new elements to the negotiation.

“A breakthrough is still possible in the coming days, but that outlook is diminishing.”

Fishing and the so-called “level playing field” aimed at preventing unfair competition in subsidies and state regulations remain the main issues to be resolved in the talks.

Earlier yesterday, Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said there were “good chances” for a trade deal.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier is reportedly expected to return to Brussels today, but could return directly to London.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will go ahead with plans that will allow ministers to break the Brexit divorce deal he already agreed to, despite the current round of talks between the UK and the EU being at a critical stage.

The UK government will ask MPs to reinstate controversial legislation giving ministers the power to violate international law by ignoring the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement relating to Northern Ireland.

Parliamentarians will vote on the UK’s internal market bill on Monday, which could push talks on a trade deal between the UK and the European Union into a deep crisis unless a deal can be reached by then. .

The EU has already taken the first steps towards legal action on the legislation.

The UK government will also introduce the tax bill (post-transition period), which reportedly includes measures to nullify parts of the divorce deal reached by the prime minister and the EU in 2019.

MEPs will be asked to reinsert the controversial Northern Ireland provisions into the UK internal market bill after the Lords voted to remove them.

Meanwhile, the Labor Party is divided on how to respond to a deal if it reaches the Commons, with high-level figures disagreeing on whether to support it or abstain.

Keir Starmer has confirmed that there are divergent views within the party on his approach to voting on a Brexit deal, but stressed that a trade deal with the European Union was “in the national interest.”

And former Labor Prime Minister Tony Blair told the BBC Newscast podcast that “Brexit as a political argument is over” and that “there is no point in raising (the) specter” of an attempt to rejoin the EU.

Blair said: “Brexit as a political argument is over, but you cannot pretend that it is not a great event that is about to happen in practical terms and therefore in the short term it will be a great challenge for the country, especially in combination with COVID-19. “