Inside Politics: Sunday deadline set for Brexit deal

The UK and EU remain far apart from an agreement with only four days before a final decision, writes Adam Forrest

Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels (Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Boris Johnson is enjoying all the fancy foreign food he can get his hands on while the going is good. Tesco’s has warned that we could soon be forced to turn back to native produce in the event of a no-deal Brexit, since the cost of imports will skyrocket. Our well-fed PM tucked into pumpkin soup, scallops and exotic fruits at his dinner in Brussels with EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen last night. But he did not manage to find room for a trade agreement. Talks will continue, but a no-deal outcome is now looking frighteningly likely.

 

Inside the bubble

 

Our political editor Andrew Woodock on what to look out for today:

Brexit trade talks will restart in Brussels this morning, but the fall-out from last night’s apparently unproductive discussion between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen will dominate the day. Labour will use an urgent question this morning to ask the Cabinet Office for update on the negotiations. Later, health minister Nadine Dorries will reveal the findings of the review into Shrewsbury maternity care scandal.

 

Daily briefing

 

LAST SUPPER CLUB: No toasts, only indigestion after the big meal in Brussels. No 10 made clear the three-hour talk did not go well, saying “very large gaps remain”. There will be a “firm decision” by Sunday on whether or not a deal can be done. The EU Commission said the two sides were still “far apart” and confirmed the end-of-weekend deadline. Talks between Michel Barnier and David Frost today, but the opposition parties appear to have written off any last-minute miracle. Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said “the failure to deliver the deal he promised is his and his alone,” while the SNP’s Ian Blackford agreed Johnson would have to “take ownership” of a no-deal crash-out. Reports suggest things are falling apart over level-playing field rules rather than fish. German chancellor Angela Merkel is holding firm, telling her own MPs: “We must have a level playing field not just for today, but we must have one for tomorrow.” The EU Commission is now set to publish its own no-deal contingency plans.

 

HARD CHEDDAR: Brits could buy a lot more cheddar if there is to be a no-deal Brexit, according to Tesco’s chair John Allan. He said import tariffs could push up the price of some luxuries – such as French brie – by as much as 40 per cent. Allan also said food bills could climb by 5 per cent on average. The supermarkets will be given a “grace period” of three months to phase in new checks in moving food supplies from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Michael Gove also revealed that a six-month agreement on chilled meat would mean “British sausages will continue to make their way to Belfast and Ballymena”. The NI Retail Consortium said it “removed one source of friction” – but asked for a long-term solution “that removes the myriad sources of friction”. (not a bad name for a book about Brexit – Myriad Sources of Friction). Meanwhile, the logistics industry has written to the Department for Transport calling for it to help clear major port backlogs caused by both Covid and Brexit. One freight director said the UK’s ports are currently “broken”.

 

HOPES AND TIERS THROUGH ALL THE YEAR: Hospital admissions from coronavirus in England are on the rise again, according to an analysis of the latest NHS figures by The Times. It doesn’t bode well for London ahead of the mid-December tier review. Prof John Ashton, a former public health director, wants the capital in tier 3. And quick. He claimed the city could become a “super spreader” – sending the virus to other parts of the country. Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, told MPs on the health select committee that evidence from this year shows adherence to the rules was “much, much greater in tier 3” than in lower tiers, because people understand them more clearly. Sir Patrick also warned that the easing of the rules over Christmas would “likely to lead to an increase in [case] numbers”. Oh great. Incidentally – get your Christmas presents asap. The Entertainer, the country’s largest independent toy retailer, said deliveries from China were around three weeks behind schedule.

 

YOU NEVER GIVE ME YOUR MONEY: Some people told to self-isolate by test and trace are being refused £500 grants because councils are running out of cash. The government had offered only £40m to cover the grants to the lowest-paid, but most councils surveyed by the District Councils’ Network said they would have to stop payments by the end of next month. Meanwhile, contract staff at the business department – including cleaners and security staff – have voted to go on strike over Covid safety concerns. Workers are worried about the large numbers of people allowed into the offices in Westminster, said the PCS union. Things have been getting testy in the Commons too. Prominent Labour MP Chris Byrant stormed out of the chamber on Wednesday after being admonished by Speaker Lindsay Hoyle for “disgraceful behaviour”. The Rhondda MP denied claims that he had triggered the Speaker’s wrath by swearing at him. He told The Independent: “I absolutely did not swear at him or at anyone”.

 

SINGAPORE KER-CHING: Some good news! Sort of. International trade secretary Liz Truss signed a “roll over” free trade agreement with Singapore. It largely replicates the arrangements we had inside the EU. So not too exciting. Oddly, the government has chosen this week to launch its search for a commissioner to drum up trade with Europe. The Department for International Trade (DIT) is advertising for the “high-profile, exciting and critical post” based in Milan. The ad for the £120,000-a-year role will close on at the end of 10 January – and the job description says that the commissioner will be expected to “focus on strengthening and deepening the UK’s trade with European markets.” It isn’t clear how the new commissioner is supposed to do that if we crash out without a free trade deal. Perhaps Kay Burley fancies giving it a go? The Sky News presenter and three colleagues – including political editor Beth Rigby – have been taken off air while an investigation into breaches of Covid guidelines is carried out. The BBC’s media editor Amol Rajan said Burley’s job is “hanging in the balance”.

 

HUNTER BECOMES THE PREY: The Justice Department is now investigating the finances of Joe Biden’s son Hunter – including scrutinising some of his Chinese business dealings and other transactions. Hunter said he took the probe “very seriously”, but was confident it would ultimately show he had handled his affairs “legally and appropriately”. Donald Trump’s reaction? He tweeted a quote from New York Post columnist Miranda Devine claiming: “10% of voters would have changed their vote if they knew about Hunter Biden.” The president-elect now has the job of picking the person to lead his Justice Department. And that person could ultimately have oversight of the investigation into his son if it’s still ongoing on 20 January.

 

On the record

 

“There is a real worry that unless the government listens and urgently acts, the disruption today will just be the tip of the iceberg.”

Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband on port disruption.

 

From the Twitterati

 

“It has plainly gone badly – we’re big step closer to ending transition period without a deal in place.”

Laura Kuenssberg says the meal did not go well…

 

“A lot of people desperately hoping Boris Johnson can secure a deal over dinner … a more realistic ambition might be to hope that he doesn’t put his face in the trifle and run off with a waitress.”

…and Dave MacLadd thinks we’re hoping for too much.

 

Essential reading

 

Andrew Grice, The Independent: Is Boris Johnson in Brussels to get a deal or show he tried his best?

 

John Rentoul, The Independent: Boris Johnson’s sweet reason has not worked out – not yet anyway

 

Iain Martin, The Times: The big obstacle in Starmer’s path to No 10 

 

Amanda Marcotte, Salon: Trump’s terrible legacy of Covid denialism

 

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