Post-Brexit trade talks between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen finished on Wednesday evening with each other’s positions remaining ‘far apart’.
In a statement following talks with Mr Johnson over dinner in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said;
“We had a lively and interesting discussion on the state of play across the list of outstanding issues.
“We gained a clear understanding of each other’s positions. They remain far apart.
“We agreed that the teams should immediately reconvene to try to resolve these essential issues.
“We will come to a decision by the end of the weekend.”
Downing Street said in a statement, “The Prime Minister is determined not to leave any route to a fair deal untested, but any agreement must respect the independence and sovereignty of the UK.”
Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves said in a tweet that the Prime Minister “promised an oven ready deal” and that he “needs to get it done so we can focus on what matters to the British people: securing our economy, protecting our NHS and rebuilding our country.”
The Brexit transition period ends of 31 December this year. If no trade agreement is made between the UK and EU by that date, both sides will have to trade with each on other on World Trade Organization from 2021 in a ‘no-deal scenario’
