Brexit news – latest: No-deal ‘very, very likely,’ Boris Johnson says as Merkel and Macron snub him

Northern Ireland’s first minister minister, Arlene Foster, has said she “really hopes” a no-deal Brexit will not be the outcome of ongoing negotiations.  

“I hope that is not the case, I really do hope that the negotiators on both sides are able to come to a deal for us here in Northern Ireland,” she said.

“It’s very important indeed for the whole of the UK to get a deal. I know that some people think that they could deal with an Australian type of Brexit. But really, for us, it would be very good if we had a free trade agreement.”

Asked about the remaining uncertainties over the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, Ms Foster said: “Obviously we voted against the Protocol, it’s not something that we wanted to have there. But we’ve been working very hard to try and change some of the worst excesses of it and to try to mitigate against some of the issues that have been there.

“We’ve seen some progress there. But, of course, it’s a work in progress and there’s still a lot of clarity that needs to come off the back of the Protocol. Of course, if there’s a free trade agreement that helps with all of that.”

In some non Brexit-related news, plans to give MPs a 4.1 per cent pay rise have been dropped after a public outcry.

Salaries will instead be frozen, an independent watchdog has announced – to “reflect the reality” their constituents are facing, amid the Covid pandemic.

Such a rise “would result in a salary increase for MPs that would be inconsistent with the wider economic data and would not reflect the reality that many constituents are facing this year,” it said.

Our deputy political editor, Rob Merrick, has more 

In an awkward encounter, in which a reporter showed Boris Johnson a recording of himself talking about an “oven-ready deal”, the PM accused ITV of “muddling up two things”.

The reporter, for one ITV’s local Tynetee station in northeast England, told Mr Johnson: “That’s you last year and when you were asked about a trade deal then, you said: ‘Don’t worry, we’ve got an oven-ready deal. It’s good to go.’”

Before the journalist could finish, Mr Johnson tired to intercept and cut the journalist short, but he continued: “And on the back of that, if I may, you got lots of votes and lots of extra seats…”

The PM did then interrupt, to say: “If I may, with respect, you’re muddling up two things.”

The journalist then hit back: “I don’t think I am. You were asked about a trade deal then and you chose to respond by saying you had an oven-ready deal. You haven’t got a deal, have you? Will you apologise to the people that voted for you?”

The PM defended himself, saying his “oven-ready deal” was “clearly” referring to the deal that saw the UK leave the EU on 31 January 2020, not the negotiations that have been ongoing ever since.

Watch the clip below to see the rest:

Britain’s customs system is not ready for the end of the post-Brexit transition, the chair of the EU goods sub-committee has told Michael Gove in a 21-page letter today.

Barrenness Sandip Verma told the Cabinet minister the committee is “not confident that all the necessary technological, physical and welfare arrangements will be in place in time to avoid or mitigate significant disruption following the end of the transition period”.

She said: “Key customs IT systems, some of them going live at the end of this month, are still in development and testing. Similarly, construction of port and inland customs facilities is still ongoing and, in some locations, yet to begin.

“The degree to which those involved in UK-EU trade are aware of what they need to do differently is a critical unknown element and the plans to protect the welfare of drivers stuck in what could be extremely long queues are insufficient. Amid this widespread uncertainty, the guidance provided by the government has been complicated and unclear, and we cannot assess how well targeted it has been.”

She added: “The committee is seriously concerned that the government is so far behind in its preparations.”

Meanwhile, at the National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, Northumberland: 

A No 10 spokesman has said it would be wrong to “conflate” queues of lorries at British ports with Brexit.

He said: “It has been primarily caused by a global spike in demands for consumer goods over many months this year. As well as disruptions to global shipping patterns and container capacity related to changes caused by the pandemic and subsequent commercial issues at ports.”

During the same Q&A (see post at 1.15pm), the Downing Street spokesman also said it was “a fact” that the UK would control its fishing waters after the Brexit transition period.

Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford has said that a no-deal Brexit would be “disastrous from a Welsh perspective”, adding that the UK government must discharge its “responsibility to strike a deal”.

Speaking at a press conference in Cardiff, he said: “We are more exposed, as the report published today demonstrates, to a no-deal exit than almost any other part of the United Kingdom.

“A higher percentage of our exports goes to Europe than the United Kingdom as a whole, we have a higher proportion of our economy in manufacturing than any other part of the United Kingdom, we rely on being able to export our agricultural products, safe and fresh to other parts of Europe.

“If there are tariffs or non-tariff barriers in the path of that trade that will inevitably make the difficult job of gaining markets and building up business even more difficult.

“The answer is for this United Kingdom government to deliver on what it said.”

Mr Drakeford added that a year ago, Boris Johnson had been “stomping around the country, claiming that he had an oven-ready deal”.

“Well, what’s happened to the oven and what’s happened to the deal? It’s their responsibility to make sure that we are not left in that position,” he said.

A Downing Street spokesperson has said there “isn’t anything new” in European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s comments today.

Ms von der Leyen said earlier that the EU would “simply adapt the conditions for access to our market accordingly the decision of the United Kingdom” and vice versa.

Her comments come after prime minister Boris Johnson compared the bloc’s proposed “level playing field” for regulations to saying “if the EU decides to buy an expensive handbag then the UK has to buy an expensive handbag too”.

The No10 spokesperson said: “I would say there isn’t anything new here. Because they still say they would adapt the conditions they place on us for access. And our position on sovereignty remains unchanged.”

A senior EU official has confirmed that a request for a three-way call on Monday between Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel was rejected, explaining that all negotiations should go via the European Commission rather than individual leaders.

Downing Street  declined to deny that the call had been blocked by Brussels, saying: “The PM has a clear willingness to talk to other leaders.”

Jon Stone reports from Brussels:

Norway’s fisheries minister said the country may close access to its fishing waters to European and British vessels from 1 January, as the trilateral fisheries deal Oslo wants with the EU and Britain is not yet concluded.

Norway is not part of the EU but is part of the European single market, and is in negotiations with the EU about granting access to their respective waters.

Oslo is also in post-Brexit negotiations with London over reciprocal access. The Nordic country has concluded a bilateral fisheries deal with the UK, but also wants a trilateral deal between Norway, the EU and Britain in place.

Fisheries and Seafood Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigsten said on Friday: “If we do not get a deal by 1 January, we will not open Norway’s economic fishing zones to vessels from the EU and Britain.

“Neither can we expect Norwegian vessels to get access to their (EU’s and Britain’s) zones before a deal is in place.”