Boris Johnson puts a deadline on trade talks with the EU, but insists No Deal would be a ‘good result’

Boris Johnson today warns Brussels that it will withdraw from trade talks in five weeks unless the EU “reconsiders” its demands.

In a harshly drafted ultimatum, the prime minister says it “makes no sense” to allow the faltering trade talks to continue after October 15, when EU leaders are due to hold a major summit in Brussels.

Johnson says ‘there is still a deal to be reached’ but says ‘it cannot and will not compromise the fundamentals of what it means to be an independent country to achieve it’, such as the UK’s freedom to set its own laws and fish in its own waters.

And he insists that a no-deal exit would still be a “good outcome” from which the UK would “powerfully prosper” while exploiting its new freedoms outside the EU.

Boris Johnson says that ‘there is still an agreement to be reached’, but says that ‘it cannot and will not compromise the fundamentals of what it means to be an independent country to achieve it’

“There needs to be an agreement with our European friends before the October 15 European Council if it is to be in force by the end of the year,” he says. So there is no point in thinking about timelines that go beyond that point. If we can’t agree by then, then I don’t see that there is a free trade agreement between us, and we should both accept it and move on. ‘

The prime minister’s comments come ahead of tough talks in London tomorrow between his chief negotiator David Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier. Lord Frost promised yesterday that he would not ‘blink’ at the EU’s demands to accept continued Brussels oversight of key areas of British law.

He urged Mr Barnier to “take our position seriously” and act now to salvage the talks. Lord Frost said the UK was not willing to be a ‘client state’ to Brussels under any circumstances, adding: ‘We are not going to compromise the fundamentals of having control of our own laws.’

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the negotiations were facing a ‘reckoning moment’ this week, warning that thousands of jobs across the EU would be put at risk unless Brussels relented. economies of EU member states if there were no trade deal, and exports of cars and other goods would likely be affected.

The prime minister’s comments come ahead of crucial talks in London tomorrow between his chief negotiator David Frost (left) and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier (right).

The Department for International Trade will launch an advertising campaign today to warn EU businesses to prepare for the changes to come when the Brexit transition period ends at the end of the year.

Trade talks have been stalled for weeks due to EU demands on fisheries and the so-called “level playing field”.

Brussels wants EU trawlers to be forever guaranteed their current access to Britain’s fishing grounds. Raab told the BBC’s Andrew Marr’s program that this was unacceptable, adding: “ Having seen the UK’s fisheries and the fishing industry practically decimated as a result of EU membership, the EU’s argument is that we must keep control of access to our own fisheries permanently low. . That can’t be right. ‘

An even bigger sticking point is the EU’s insistence that Britain continue to comply with EU laws after Brexit to ensure a “level playing field” for mainland companies.

The talks are currently stalled by Barnier’s demand to see details of the UK’s new state aid regime before moving on to other areas of negotiation. State aid is the system of rules that covers government support and subsidies for struggling industries.

Chancellor Dominic Raab (pictured) said the negotiations were facing a “reckoning moment” this week.

Raab said the EU could not “be credibly concerned” that the current conservative administration is likely to push for heavier subsidies than some existing member states. But he said it was a “point of principle” for the UK to set its own rules.

A government source added last night: ‘It is a question of where the decisions are made. We had a vote in this country to regain control and we are not going to back down on that. ‘ The Prime Minister stresses today that he is seeking a simple free trade agreement along the lines of the one negotiated between the EU and Canada.

He adds: “If the EU is willing to rethink its current positions and accept this, I will be delighted. But we cannot and we will not compromise the fundamentals of what it means to be an independent country to achieve this. ‘

Some high-level ministers are privately concerned that the UK is unprepared to deal with the shock of leaving the EU without a trade deal later this year.

It would leave the UK negotiating on terms of the World Trade Organization, with tariffs on some products going both ways. Carriers have warned of disruption of supply lines if there is no agreement on border controls.