Name: UK and EU to keep talking beyond deadline “to go the extra mile” - BBC News
Uploaded: 2020-12-17T20:05:22.000Z
Duration: 6 min 33 s
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the Brexit trade talks are continuing beyond today's deadline.

Past simple

K and the U agreed that their negotiators should keep talking, major issues were still unresolved.

But after a telephone call this morning, Boris Johnson Anderson of Underline said that they would go the extra mile.

The prime minister has repeated that a no deal scenario waas most likely, but that the two sides would be as creative as possible.

Our political correspondent in Watson reports are there still barriers in the way of a trade deal with Brussels today?

The latest deadline was discarded, but the prime minister says some distance still remains between the two sides.

As things stand, I'm afraid we're still very far apart on some key things.

But where there's life, there's hope we're going to keep talking to see what we could do.

The UK certainly won't be are walking away from the talks on the EU Commission president said both sides would make a last gasp effort to reach agreement despite the exhaustion after almost one year of negotiations on despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over, we both think that it is responsible at this point in time to go the extra mile.

So why does a tangible gap remain between the two sides?

Well, they're still squabbling over what access you fishing fleets would have to UK waters and over how any wider trade deal would be policed if the two sides adopt different rules in the future.

As well as talking to the EU Commission president today, Boris Johnson spoke to his Cabinet colleagues despite agreeing to more talks in Brussels.

He told them that no deal was still the more likely outcome.

There is a clarity and a simplicity in in that approach that you know has its own advantages.

Well, it means tariffs or taxes would be imposed from January, the first on goods going from our shores to the U, and vice versa, pushing up some prices in the process.

But this could be avoided if a deal is struck soon.

Now, neither Downing Street nor Brussels have set themselves yet another deadline.

These tend to come and go in any case, but I'm told informally that the question of deal or no deal needs to be settled in the next few days.

Despite the apparent pessimism in there, it's important to note that detailed discussions are still continuing, so the prospect of a deal can't be completely ruled out.

In fact, the Irish government believes a deal is within reach if both sides sure willing.

97% of this deal has been negotiated across the judicial security research.

A whole range of areas on it seems to me that the remaining 3% should not be beyond the capacity off both sides to bridge on.

Labor argues that there's no logic to no deal.

What the government seems to be saying is we are willing to accept no deal, which would mean tariffs across the board because some future theoretical threat, maybe sometime in the future to have tariffs in relation to some products.

That makes no sense that that's like saying I'm worried to my roof is gonna leak in five years time.

Today, the negotiating teams have been given the green light to continue, but the direction of travel remains uncertain.

Now, sources close to the British side with negotiations they're saying, Look, if there hadn't been any progress, talks would indeed have been called off today.

The process still has some legs, but those legs tend to be strolling, not running on.

That could even stumble because I'm also being told.

The more detailed discussions become, the more problems are being thrown up, Boris Johnson says.

But his critics inside, as well as outside the Conservative Party, are saying that if we leave without a trade agreement with a single biggest market, that will prove very costly in thank you very much in Watson in Westminster.

And let's turn now to our Europe editor, Katia Adler, who's in Brussels.

What do you think the extension off the talks means?

Cata Well, of course, that we've talked many times that neither the government nor the EU wants to get the blame in case it comes to no deal.

So, Michelle, could it be possible that they're only still talking because neither side wants to be the first to walk away?

Absolutely not, is what I'm hearing from you.

They say both sides are trying to be very constructive in the negotiating room, although big political decisions still needs to be taken.

What we know is that neither side is going to sign up to this deal unless they can sell it at home as a victory for the U.

Of course, that would say it's protected its national sovereignty after Brexit.

For the U, it would mean protecting the single market on.

Until then, they're just won't be any deal.

Katya Adler in Brussels Thank you very much.

Well, business groups have welcomed the decision to keep the effort to get a trade deal going.

Our business editor, Simon Jack, is here in the studios.

We still don't have an answer to how all of this end, Simon, and yet there are immediate decisions that need to be made.

As you rightly say, business groups say, as long as still still talking.

There's still a chance of a deal because without one, they could have stood up today and said, We're throwing in the towel.

And at that point, what means on January, the first three e would be legally obliged important point that I wouldn't choose to do this to bring in terms the W t o terms treat the UK like everyone else it doesn't have a trade deal on.

That means 10% tariffs on cars, 48% on some forms off lamb.

It would not 2% off national income, according to the OPR, the official THEA office of Budget Responsibility.

That's £40 billion so their stakes are still very high.

Having said that, this extension does create problems firms need to able to price and label their goods for next year.

And psychologically, if people keep thinking of this gun, some rabbit come out of the hat at the 11th hour, they'll take their foot off the gas and doing some of the things they need to do, whether we get a deal or not.

So it wouldn't put them out of their misery if we have said no deal right now.

 But if we do get no deal, I'm afraid it could put some firms out of business. 

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UK and EU to keep talking beyond deadline “to go the extra mile” - BBC News

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