Brexit news – live: Boris Johnson must deliver promised ‘oven-ready’ deal, says Keir Starmer

No-deal Brexit

Sir Keir Starmer has urged Boris Johnson to deliver the “oven-ready” Brexit deal he had promised.

His comments come after the PM said it was time for the UK to prepare for an “Australian-style arrangement” with the EU – which is Downing Street language for a no-deal outcome. 

Here is a reminder of Mr Johnson’s comments on Friday:

And here is an explainer on what an Australia-style solution would look like:

Here’s a quick recap of Brexit clashes this week:

The latest talks broke down on Thursday when the EU said the UK had to give more ground. 

Boris Johnson hit back on Friday, telling Brussels there was no point in continuing the negotiations unless the EU fundamentally changed course, and telling businesses to prepare for no deal.

European leaders, however, have tasked negotiator Michel Barnier to continue talks.

Mr Barnier was told not to bother coming to London as planned on Monday given the EU’s position. 

Issues still to be resolved include fair competition rules, dispute resolution and fisheries.

If you want to read up more on this week’s developments, here are some key pieces: 

Additional reporting by Reuters

‘Negotiation is all about compromise’

Back to Sir Keir Starmer’s comments over fraught Brexit talks, the Labour leader said he was calling for more flexibility from the UK government. 

“These are negotiations, there has to be flexibility. If there isn’t flexibility there won’t be an agreement.”

Asked whether the UK government should “compromise” on fishing and state aid, Sir Keir Starmer: “Negotiation is all about compromise. Its reaching agreement on things that the parties didn’t agree on at the start of the process.”

Man arrested in connection with Official Secrets Act

A man has been arrested on suspicion of offences under the Official Secrets Act and misconduct in a public office, police have said.

It comes amid a report in the Mail on Sunday claiming a civil servant was questioned by Scotland Yard in connection with an investigation into an explosive leak of diplomatic cables which resulted the resignation of the UK ambassador to the US, Sir Kim Darroch, last year.

Ashley Cowburn reports:

In non-Brexit news, Michael Gove has also rejected calls for a circuit-breaker national lockdown for England.

Ashley Cowburn reports:

‘The prime minister said he had an oven-ready deal’

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on Boris Johnson to deliver the “oven-ready” Brexit deal he had promised.

Sir Keir told the BBC’s Politics Wales show the UK government should sit down and talk to the EU about differences on fishing quotas and state aid.

“I think it is very important that the remaining issues are negotiated, and we get an agreement. We need to, the clock is ticking,” he said.

The Labour leader added: “The prime minister said he had an oven-ready deal. He should get on and deliver that.”

Test and Trace consultants 

As well as being quizzed about Brexit on TV today, Michael Gove has been asked about the £7,000 day rate for some Test and Trace consultants. 

When asked whether the expenditure was a good use of public money, the Cabinet Office minister replied: “Yes.”

Here’s the clip:

And here’s the full story from Daisy Lester:

‘We’re alright Jack’ letter

Back to what is happening in Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham has hit back at a “group of southern” Tory MPs who angered Conservative colleagues by calling for him to “engage” with the government’s lockdown measures to prevent further restrictions in their constituencies.

The Greater Manchester mayor said on Sunday that the “we’re alright Jack” letter from 20 Conservatives whose areas are currently under the lowest form of coronavirus restriction would not “cut much ice here”.

The Labour mayor and Tory politicians in the region are opposing Tier 3 restrictions for Greater Manchester without greater financial support from the Treasury for workers and business.

Marr interview

To summarise Michael Gove’s interview with Andrew Marr, the Tory minister said the EU needs to change its approach and show it is serious before talks can resume this week.

Mr Gove claimed the bloc had squandered some of the progress made in negotiations because it had not been willing to intensify talks or produce detailed legal texts. 

 “We hope that the EU will change their position; we’re certainly not saying if they do change their position that we can’t talk to them,” he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr on Sunday.

He said the door was “ajar” for more talks still. 

The latest talks broke down on Thursday when the European Union said Britain needed to give ground.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Door ‘ajar’ for Brexit talks

Michael Gove has said the door is “ajar” for trade talks with the EU, after Downing Street claimed they were “over” on Friday.

Here is his interview with Andrew Marr: