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Boris Johnson’s dinner with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has ended, with a 10th source warning that “very large gaps remain” between the UK and the EU over a Brexit trade deal.
A “frank discussion” was held on the “significant obstacles” that remain in the negotiations, and the source said that “it is not yet clear whether they can be overcome.”
Mr Johnson and Ms Von der Leyen have agreed to continue discussions in the coming days among their negotiating teams, and the prime minister “does not want to leave any path to a possible deal untested.”
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PM meets Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels
Both leaders agreed that a firm decision should be made on the future of the talks on Sunday.
In a statement after the three-hour meal, longer than the two hours initially scheduled, Ms Von der Leyen added: “We had a lively and interesting discussion about the situation on the to-do list. We achieved a clear understanding of positions of others They remain very separate.
“We agreed that the teams should meet again immediately to try to solve these essential problems.”
Sky’s Europe correspondent Adam Parsons, who is in Brussels, said a trade deal was not expected to emerge over dinner, but the two leaders were expected to find some potential areas of compromise.
He added: “Who knows, maybe they did, but the smoke signals coming from this are not too good. We had two separate statements. When things are going well, according to the Brussels diplomats, a joint statement is released.” .
“But what we do have is a deadline. At the end of this weekend, we should know if we are heading towards no deal or a really hasty deal.”
Some EU diplomats remain concerned that any further concessions will give Britain “too good a deal”, and European leaders will be briefed during a summit starting Thursday.
“Right now, in Brussels, it seems that the lack of agreement is seeping in as the most likely outcome,” added Adam Parsons.
Sky’s Jon Craig in Westminster reports that the spotlight will shift to Westminster on Thursday when Michael Gove confronts MPs over an urgent Labor in the Commons question, and the prime minister may call a special meeting of his cabinet.
Boris Johnson tweeted a photo of him getting on a plane to Brussels early in the evening.
The prime minister had landed in Brussels shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday night on his first visit to the Belgian capital since his landslide election victory last winter.
Mr. Johnson and Ms. Von der Leyen agreed to hold emergency talks in an attempt to break the deadlock in the trade agreement negotiations.
Although the discussions drag on for 10 months, three sticking points remain with only a few weeks until the end of the transition period: fishing, fair competition guarantees, and how future disputes should be resolved.
Sky’s Jon Craig, who is in Westminster, noted: “It could be argued that the prime minister’s hosts in Brussels had a sense of humor or were being provocative when they chose the menu.
“Fishing rights is one of the big disputes. What did they serve him? Scallops as a starter and turbot as a main dish.”
The transition period is the deal the UK has been in since Brexit happened.
It meant that while the country formally left the EU and stopped having representatives in the European Parliament, it has still followed many of the bloc’s rules.
This was intended to limit disruptions to businesses, which would then only have to make a major adjustment to the new regulations once, giving negotiators time to agree on what the new business relationship should look like.
But an agreement has still proved elusive.
Johnson faces twin pressures from those in his own party who believe the lack of a deal would have a severe impact on the economy, and from those who believe no deal would leave the UK in a better situation.
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‘I’ll bring Commons to Christmas Eve if need be’
Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “The prime minister promised an oven-ready deal.
“He needs to do it so that we can focus on what matters to the British people – securing our economy, protecting our NHS and rebuilding our country.”
Meanwhile, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford warned: “A no deal would be a massive failure of the diplomacy and leadership that @BorisJohnson has to take on.
“In addition to the economic and health impact of covid, this is self-harm.
“Trade disruption, tariffs, higher prices, and job losses are never a price worth paying.”
Johnson and Ms Von der Leyen had a ‘frank discussion’, said a source from Number 10
A new deadline, but talks may not end if there is no agreement
By Sam Coates, Deputy Political Editor
Finally, Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen almost managed to agree on something: the creation of a new term on Sunday.
This looks like it could be the time when talks are pulled out if there is no deal, and planning for a no deal becomes the sole focus of the EU and UK governments.
But even here, things are not 100% clear.
A UK source says “a firm decision should be made on the future of the talks by Sunday.”
Von der Leyen has a subtly different view: the talks should meet again to discuss “essential” issues and “we will reach a decision by the end of the weekend.”
The implication is clear, but neither side has promised to end all talks if there is no agreement.
So maybe even this isn’t as safe as it sounds. The only certainty of Brexit is the relentless ticking of time towards January 1, 2021.
