Boris Johnson has set out his stall on post-Brexit talks with Brussels – demanding a “Canada-style” free trade deal and vowing that Britain will not accept any EU rules on social protections and the environment.
The PM has said he would be willing to accept trade arrangements “more like Australia’s” if the EU does not agree. Acting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey claimed Mr Johnson was simply re-branding a no-deal crash out scenario, attacking it as “no deal in all but name”.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said Brussels was prepared to make an “exceptional offer” for a wide-ranging free trade agreement – but said that it was conditional on retaining EU rules across a whole set of areas to uphold a “level playing field”.
UK will resist ‘EU rules on social and environmental protections’ in trade talks, Boris Johnson says
PM to deliver major speech setting out UK’s prior ties in trade talks with BrusselsStreatham terror attacker was being monitored by undercover police officers at time of stabbings
Undercover officers were following Sudesh Amman as part of 'proactive counterterrorism operation', Scotland Yard saysEmily Thornberry tells Labour members to 'get on with it' and nominate her for leader
Plea from shadow foreign secretary comes as she faces being eliminated from contestSadiq Khan angry at Boris Johnson's government over 'preventable' Streatham terror attack
'I'm angry because some of the reassurances we were given by the government in November haven't been realised,' says London mayorEU national parliaments may not get to vote on Brexit trade deal
The national parliaments of EU member states may not be given a vote to approve the EU's Brexit trade deal with the UK, Brussels has indicated.
EU officials said they are "confident" that the scope of the agreement with Britain will be narrow enough that parliaments do not have to be given a vote – but said it might be decided to give them one anyway.
Under EU law, there are two types of trade agreements: "EU-only" deals and "mixed" deals. A deal is "EU-only" if it only covers policy areas that are the responsibility of the EU, while the latter cross into the prerogatives of member states.