Brexit: Michel Barnier set to stay in London as trade talks go down to the wire

Talks on a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU are expected to continue into the night, with the bloc’s chief negotiator staying in London.

Michel Barnier did not head home on Friday morning as some expected, and a briefing he was meant to hold for EU diplomats was cancelled.

Negotiations are said to be at a “critical phase”, and are likely to resume later tonight, with Mr Barnier understood to be staying in London for now.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Friday afternoon he expected talks to continue over the weekend, adding he “fervently” hoped there would be a deal.

“Some countries are putting pressure… seeking additional information,” he said.

“We have appointed a negotiating team. We have got to allow them the space to conclude these talks, and hopefully achieve an agreement.”

Number 10 and the European Commission declined to confirm whether talks are likely to continue into the weekend.

It comes after Sky News was told that Thursday’s talks “did not go well”, following several nights this week when negotiations dragged on late into the evening.

The pressure is on, with less than a month to go until the moment when the UK will either fall into a no-deal trading relationship with the EU or enter a new relationship.

The UK left the EU on 31 January 2020 – but is in a “transition period” for the rest of the year and has followed many of the same rules and held on to the benefits of membership apart from political representation.

That was designed to limit disruption, meaning citizens and businesses only had to prepare for one change on 1 January 2021.

But both sides said they wanted these negotiations over by mid-October and constant talk of a pressing deadline has seen discussions pushed closer to the cliff edge.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s deputy spokesman has admitted that “time is in very short supply” and “we’re at a very difficult point in the talks”.

Charles Michel, head of the European Council, did not even set a deadline of 10 December – when EU leaders are due to gather for a summit – when asked by a journalist if that was the latest point a deal could be struck by.

“It’s unfortunate that it took longer than planned but we’re still currently negotiating and Michel Barnier is leading the negotiations, so we’ll see over the next few days what the next steps are,” he said in a briefing on Friday.

The issue preoccupying negotiators this week is believed to have been the EU’s demand for what is known as a “level playing field”.

This concerns the issue of state subsidies and standards which could seriously affect competition once the transition ends.

Mr Barnier was due to brief 27 national envoys to Brussels on Friday by video conference, but the group’s spokesman, Sebastian Fischer, confirmed the meeting would not go ahead “due to the ongoing intensive negotiations in London”.

He added: “Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned!”

(c) Sky News 2020: Brexit: Michel Barnier set to stay in London as trade talks go down to the wire