Crunch Brexit talks stumble on past deadline as UK PM says sides ‘still very far apart’

Boris Johnson and EU commission chief Ursula von der Leyen have agreed to push on with talks despite passing a self-imposed deadline of Sunday

Britain is set to leave the European Union’s single market on December 31 and will fall back on World Trade Organization rules if no trade deal is agreed

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pictured in his office at 10 Downing Street after his call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Photo: Andrew Parsons/No10 Downing Street/DPA

Published: 10:38pm, 13 Dec 2020Updated: 10:40pm, 13 Dec 2020

British and European negotiators were sent back to work on Sunday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen agreed to abandon their supposed make-or-break deadline.

The pair had said last week they would decide whether an agreement was possible by the end of Sunday, but after a cross-Channel crisis call they agreed to “go the extra mile”.

“We had a useful phone call this morning. We discussed the major unresolved topics,” von der Leyen said in a video message, reading out a joint statement agreed with Johnson. “Our negotiating teams have been working day and night over recent days.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Photo: Handout via Xinhua

The EU’s Michel Barnier and Britain’s David Frost held talks late on Saturday and early on Sunday. They have been alternating between the capitals but a European official said that, for the moment, they would remain in Brussels.

In their joint statement, the leaders said: “We have accordingly mandated our negotiators to continue the talks and to see whether an agreement can even at this late stage be reached.”