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THE UK HAS fired a warning shot at Brussels on a no-deal scenario after preparing Royal Navy ships to patrol its fishing waters as negotiations enter their final 48 hours.
Four 80-meter armed vessels have been put on hold to protect British waters from EU trawlers in the event that there is no new agreement on fishing rights after December 31, when the transitional arrangements finalize.
The confirmation of the measure by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) comes as Boris Johnson and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, warned on both sides of the English Channel that a no-deal result seemed more likely than an agreement in trade negotiations.
Johnson said yesterday that it is “very, very likely” that the UK will not reach a trade deal.
The prime minister said he was “hopeful” that progress can be made in the talks, but stressed that the two sides remain stuck on fishing and “level playing field” rules.
His comments came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the positions of the negotiating teams remained separate on “fundamental issues.”
However, the Foreign Minister, Simon Coveney, said yesterday that “it is possible to reach an agreement.”
He added that it could be achieved in a way that protects the EU’s interests in preserving the integrity of the Single Market while respecting Britain’s insistence on being an independent and sovereign country outside the bloc.
Chief negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost will talk over the weekend in Brussels after Johnson and von der Leyen agreed over dinner on Wednesday to resume negotiations ahead of a decision on the future of the talks tomorrow.
Meeting with Gove
Yesterday afternoon, Johnson met with British High Minister Michael Gove, who is responsible for Brexit planning, and other officials to “take stock” of the British government’s plans for a no-deal exit.
It follows reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron rejected Johnson three times this week after he tried to speak to them directly about stalled trade discussions.
Fishing has been one of the most contentious topics in the negotiations with the bloc, and France is reportedly not happy with the UK’s proposals to lower quotas for EU skippers and a short implementation period.
According to the Times, ministers are poised to bolster patrol powers by enacting legislation allowing the Navy to board foreign vessels and arrest fishermen if there is no deal, in scenes reminiscent of the Cod Wars of the 1970s.
The Guardian reported that the four Royal Navy ships prepared for fisheries surveillance are river patrol boats that are armed with machine guns, although the newspaper said no shots were expected to be needed.
Conservative MPs have been urging Johnson to ensure UK waters are properly protected in case the talks collapse.
The Defense Ministry said the deployment of the ships had been agreed as part of planning for the end of the transition period.
A spokesperson said: “The Defense Ministry has done extensive planning and preparation to ensure that the defense is ready for a variety of scenarios by the end of the transition period.”
The Daily Mail reported that Wildcat and Merlin helicopters were also on standby to assist with policing the country’s territorial coastline.
The move is likely to read in Brussels as a shot through the bow as negotiators rush in a bid to secure a deal this weekend.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Blyth in Northumberland, Johnson said that fishing and the so-called level playing field ratchet that would bind the UK to future EU standards were the two main obstacles to a deal.
He said: “There is the whole fish issue where we have to be able to regain control of our waters. So there is a way to go; we are hopeful that progress can be made.
But I have to say that, from where I am now, here in Blyth, it seems very, very likely that we will have to find a solution that I think would be wonderful for the UK, and we would be able to do exactly what we want from January.
No news is bad news
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Earlier on Friday in Brussels, von der Leyen said the UK and the EU “have not yet found the solutions to bridge our differences” in fisheries.
The Commission President urged the British government to “understand the legitimate expectations of the EU fishing fleets based on decades, and sometimes centuries, of access.”
With information from Orla Dwyer
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