‘Firm decision’ on Brexit talks set for Sunday
Boris Johnson and the EU have set a Sunday deadline for a “firm decision” on the future relationship between the two sides.
Downing Street said “large gaps remain” between the EU and UK after the Prime Minister and Ursula Von der Leyen met for dinner in Brussels.
Von der Leyen said the conversation had been “lively and interesting” but the two sides were still “far apart”.
The two leaders have given their negotiating teams until Sunday to reach an agreement, but said that if a deal is not possible then a “firm” decision would have to be taken to suspend talks.
The dinner between the two was considered a last bid to work through some of the key issues, including fishing rights and the so-called level playing field.
“Very large gaps remain between the two sides and it is still unclear whether these can be bridged,” a Number 10 spokesperson reportedly said.
Downing Street did not rule out a deal, saying the PM did “not want to leave any route to a possible deal untested”. However the chances of negotiating a deal before the 31 December deadline are becoming increasingly unlikely.
It comes after the government announced plans to drop parts of the controversial Internal Market Bill that could have seen the UK break international law.
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said he was “delighted” to come to an agreement, including on an arrangement for the Iris border, following talks with the European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic.