Brexit news – live: No-deal still likely, Boris Johnson warns, despite UK and EU agreeing to continue talks

Simon Coveney told RTE Radio’s This Week the last few days had been difficult for both negotiating teams and they were under “enormous pressure” to try and find a way forward.

“Both sides do want a deal and they want a deal now to provide certainty for so many people who have been waiting for it for years,” he said.

He noted both sides had described the discussions as “constructive and useful”, in a shift from their previous terms of “lively and interesting”.

He said their joint statement was a sign they were working to try to find a way forward together.

“The only way we get a deal here that both sides can live with is if both understand the real and genuine problems of the other side and try to resolve them through a legal text.”

With or without a deal, the UK’s departure from the EU’s single market and customs union is likely to impact our supermarket experience. 

It could force stores to raise prices and possibly leave gaps on the shelves as supplies of certain items run low. 

Andrew Woodcock explores the challenges and red tape for food importers post-Brexit. 

As trade talks continue and the prospect of a no-deal Brexit looms, auto industry leaders are warning of the ‘catastrophic’ impact on business. 

Mike Hawes, the Chief Executive of SMMT said he welcomes “the commitment from both sides to continue talking and find a way through the political impasse”.

Adding that a ‘no deal’ conclusion would be “nothing less than catastrophic for the automotive sector,  its workers and their families.”

The Tories have always put themselves forward as the party of business – Ben Chu reports on how Brexit has challenged the claim

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that he believes that a post-Brexit trade deal is achievable and that both sides want one, but that negotiations must be finalised in the coming days. 

“Despite some of the commentary we’ve got from various different sources in the last week, I think both sides do want a deal and they want a deal now,” Mr Coveney told national broadcaster RTE.

“My view is that a deal can be done, but it really needs to be done within the next few days…. There will be huge pressure this week on the negotiating teams to close this out and I would say a lot of impatience coming from Brussels and London.”

Britons who fear disruption and decline tell Adam Forrest how they’ve been getting ready:

Remember way back in the pre-Brexit days when everyone picked apart Barack Obama’s choice of words when he told the country we would be at the “back of the queue” for a trade deal as opposed to the more common Americanism “back of the line”?

Well here is the 2020 version, brought to you by the metric system:

Asked if no-deal is slightly less likely, the prime minister said: “Look, if Ursula is optimistic then that is great… but as far as I can see there are some serious and very, very difficult issues that currently separate the UK from the EU and the best thing to do now for everybody is to follow up all the work that has been done over the last four-and-a-half years, a colossal amount of preparation at our ports, everywhere across the UK, get ready to trade on WTO terms.

“And there is a clarity and a simplicity in that approach that has its own advantages.

“It is not where we wanted to get to, but if we have to end up with that solution, the UK is more than prepared.”

A no-deal Brexit is still the “most likely” outcome despite the decision to extend talks, a downbeat Boris Johnson has warned.

Speaking in Downing Street, Boris Johnson said there is a Brexit trade “deal to be done” but warned that the UK and EU “remain very far apart” on the key issues.

He said: “We are always happy to talk and to make progress where we can. I do think, as I say, there is a deal to be done if our partners want to do it. But we remain very far apart on these key issues.

“And you know what they are – the UK can’t be locked into the EU’s regulatory orbit and we’ve obviously got to take back control of our fisheries four-and-a-half years after people voted for it.

“So those are the points. I think that it is very clear what the UK is talking about, let’s see what we can achieve.

“But in the meantime, get ready, with confidence, for January 1 – trade on WTO terms if we have to.”