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No deadline set for Brexit negotiations as 'no-deal' seems more likely

Monday, 14 December 2020 11:19 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 14 December 2020 11:19 PM ]

Bianca Rahimi
Press TV, London

More than four years since Britons voted by 52 to 48 percent to leave the EU, a trade deal is yet to be reached. After it became clear that the UK is hurtling towards a no-deal Brexit Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday, the two sides are still very far apart on some key things but the UK will not be leaving the negotiating table.

Mr. Johnson also called on Britain to get ready to trade on World Trade Organization terms. The UK will also have to decide whether to accept the “mini-deals” proposed by Brussels to keep planes in the air and lorries with food and medicines rolling. A no deal might mean rising food prices and the loss of 300 thousand jobs. So are Britons worried?

Preventing a deal is a row over Britain’s fisheries. After January 1, Europe won’t have automatic access to British waters anymore, and a no-deal will mean zero access. The French are particularly upset about this. Clashes in the English Channel are likely, and the UK has already bolstered its defenses there, with four royal navy ships. The EU is calling for calm though.

The EU’s brexit negotiator is also calling for patience, saying a new trade pact with Britain is still possible this week.

The European Union says Westminster has to compromise on fisheries, but the UK says it cannot agree to become the only country in the world that does not have sovereign control over its fishing waters. Neither seem prepared to budge so despite setting a new deadline, a no-deal Brexit seems more and more likely.

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