Britain’s Boris Johnson gives October 15 deadline for Brexit deal with EU

The British prime minister was setting the October 15 European Council meeting as the deadline for a deal. And he’ll say the UK is prepared to end the Brexit transition period without one, if necessary, at year-end – a scenario he’ll describe as a “good outcome”, his office said in an emailed statement.

“There is still an agreement to be had,” Johnson will say, pledging that his government will work hard through September and urging the bloc to “rethink” its positions. “But we cannot and will not compromise on the fundamentals of what it means to be an independent country to get it.”

A European diplomat, who asked not to be named in line with policy, said informal consultations ahead of this week’s talks yielded no shift in positions. A second diplomat said the view in Brussels is that there’s a fight between Brexit realists and Brexit ideologues in the British government, and it’s uncertain which side will prevail.

Meanwhile a spokesperson confirmed the government is “considering fallback options” in case it can’t resolve “outstanding issues” in the Brexit withdrawal agreement related to Northern Ireland.

The Financial Times reported that a planned internal market bill to ensure smooth trade between the four UK nations will override key parts of the withdrawal agreement on state aid and Northern Ireland customs – a move people familiar with the plans told the newspaper will undermine prospects of a trade deal.