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Boris Johnson is being accused of failure after his hopes for a Brexit food deal in Brussels were dashed and trade talks went into overtime with a new deadline for Sunday.
His three-hour dinner with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, ended in a stalemate with “very large gaps” between the two sides, according to Downing Street.
Ms Von der Leyen, who described the talks as “lively and interesting,” said the two sides “remain very far apart,” a damning verdict that suggests a no-deal Brexit seems increasingly likely.
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove will now face MPs in a potentially heated Commons showdown, with opposition parties condemning the threat of a deal but Brexit conservatives enjoying it.
Labor says a year after Johnson promised a “kiln-ready deal,” he has failed to deliver on what he promised. The SNP has accused him of “a lack of diplomacy and leadership.”
As Gove faces MPs, von der Leyen will brief all 27 EU leaders at a Brussels summit and Brexit negotiators Lord Frost and Michel Barnier will resume their talks once again.
Ms Von der Leyen said there are ‘very large gaps’ left between the two sides
The dinner stalemate came after the prime minister rushed to Brussels for talks that were heralded as a decisive attempt to salvage a Brexit deal after months of discussions between Lord Frost and Barnier ended in a stalemate. .
But the three-course dinner did not make the breakthrough expected by both parties and even the menu chosen by Johnson’s hosts in the EU signaled that a no-deal Brexit was looming.
In a move intended to be provocative or reveal a sense of humor, given the clash over fishing rights, Johnson was served scallops as a starter and turbot as a main course.
Even the choice of dessert, pavlova, a dish said to have originated in Australia, hinted at a no-deal outcome, as Johnson has often talked about leaving the EU on Australian trade terms – that is, no-deal.
The meeting got off to a bad start as the two leaders posed for the cameras before dinner. Ms. Von der Leyen told Johnson to keep his distance while the face covers were briefly removed.
He then told the Prime Minister to put the mask back on, to which Johnson replied, “You drive very well here, Ursula, and you’re right too.”
Three hours later, in a statement released immediately after dinner, a 10th source said: “The prime minister and VDL had a frank discussion about the significant obstacles that remain in the negotiations.
“There are still very large gaps between the two sides and it is not yet clear whether they can be bridged.
“The prime minister and VDL agreed to continue discussions over the next few days between their negotiating teams.
“The prime minister does not want to leave any path to a possible agreement untested. The prime minister and VDL agreed that a firm decision should be made on the future of the talks by Sunday.”
In another statement, an hour later, a Downing Street spokesman added: “They acknowledged that the situation remained very difficult and that there were still great differences between the two parties.”
“The prime minister is determined not to leave any path to fair treatment untested, but any deal must respect the independence and sovereignty of the UK.”
In her statement, Ms Von der Leyen said: “We had a lively and interesting discussion about the situation on the to-do list.
“We got a clear understanding of each other’s positions. They are still very far apart.
“We agreed that the teams should meet again immediately to try to solve these essential problems. We will reach a decision at the end of the weekend.”
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‘I’ll bring Commons to Christmas Eve if need be’
Reacting to the stalemate, Labor Party Deputy Leader Angela Rayner tweeted: “A year after Boris Johnson promised us an oven-ready deal, it has completely failed.
“The breach of the deal you promised is yours and yours alone.”
Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Rachel Reeves, whose pressing question is being answered by Gove in the Commons, 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.”
And SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford tweeted: “A no deal would be a massive failure of the diplomacy and leadership that @BorisJohnson has to assume.
“In addition to the health and economic impact of Covid, this is self-induced self-harm. Trade disruption, tariffs, higher prices, and job losses are never a price worth paying.”
Analysis: the EU’s patience with the UK has almost evaporated
By Adam Parsons, Europe correspondent
And now we have a deadline that seems pretty firm. Setting the finish line at the end of this weekend will attract some attention when EU leaders meet in Brussels for their last meeting, and may pressure negotiators to make one last roll of the dice.
But it may not go anywhere. For months now, negotiating teams have been speaking with increasing intensity and have achieved very little. Without meaningful compromises, on both sides, it’s hard to see how a breakthrough will emerge.
The EU has already started preparing for a deal, and those preparations are now going to gain momentum.
Some believe that it will be better to negotiate once the effects of not negotiating have been seen; others are really upset: they like the UK and worry that grudges will follow.
But everyone is tired of the conversations that have been endless through a variety of dead ends. Currently, the EU is divided by arguments over its budget, COVID-19, the rule of law and foreign policy. For the last 10 months or so, Brexit has taken a long time without ever being at the top of the agenda.
All European countries would prefer the UK to walk away with a deal, but the EU believes the commitments should come primarily from Westminster, and the patience to wait for them has evaporated.
