EU, UK Brexit negotiators to discuss later today continuation of trade talks

EU and UK Brexit negotiators, Michel Barnier and David Frost, will discuss continuing trade talks over the phone around 1300 GMT on Monday, a spokesman for the former said.

Britain said on Friday there was no point holding more talks on a new EU-UK trade pact from 2021 unless the bloc fundamentally changes its position. Barnier and Frost are to discuss on Monday when and how to restart the troubled talks. 

Earlier, a British Minister said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants the European Union to come forward with relatively small concessions on Brexit as the door is still ajar but unless the bloc budges there will be a no-trade deal exit.

“It would be sensible at this point for them to go that extra mile, to come closer to us on the points that remain for discussion. They haven’t done so yet and that’s disappointing,” Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told Sky News.

“And if they’re not able to do so then we won’t be able to conclude the discussions in the way that both sides I think would like to at this point,” he said.

“We hope that they could come forward now with some relatively small but important changes which respect us as an independent sovereign nation.”