No-deal Brexit a ‘strong possibility’
Hopes that a last-minute Brexit deal will be agreed are waning as UK prime minister Boris Johnson warned there is a ‘strong possibility’ of a no-deal Brexit as negotiators continue to try and deliver material progress by Sunday. Meanwhile, the EU has also started to propose no-deal contingency measures, starting with ones to keep planes and haulage trucks flowing over the Channel.
The two sides remain far apart on three major sticking points – fisheries, governance and maintaining a level playing field.
Fresh stimulus for the EU
EU leaders have agreed on a new EUR1.8 trillion package to help the bloc bounce back from the coronavirus crisis. The first day of the European Council summit has been productive after Hungary and Poland, which had previously opposed the budget, were convinced to drop their objections.