UPDATED: Barclay and Barnier holding make-or-break Brexit talks
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Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay is meeting the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels to assess whether they can salvage a deal by next week.
The pair will see if there are grounds to move forward, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar yesterday said they could “see a pathway to a possible deal”.
At the end of the meeting, Barnier likened Brexit to “climbing a mountain”, after holding talks with Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay.
Barnier urged “patience”, as the EU and UK look to reach a deal ahead of a crucial summit next week.
Following his “technical” discussion with Mr Barclay in Brussels, Mr Barnier told reporters: “Be patient.”
He added: “Brexit is like climbing a mountain. We need vigilance, determination and patience.”
Friday marks 20 days until Brexit – but just eight before Johnson will be forced to ask for a delay if he has not secured an agreement.
After the bilateral talks in Wirral yesterday, Varadkar said he hoped the progress they had made would be enough to restart intensive negotiations Brussels ahead of next week’s crucial EU summit.
Johnson almost certainly needs the gathering of 28 leaders in Brussels on October 17 and 18 to sign off on an agreement in order to be able to take the UK out of the European Union on 31 October with a deal.
