See you at our place! Brexit talks END EARLY as stalemate hits – Barnier faces UK showdown

Chief negotiators David Frost and Michel Barnier have agreed to continue talks in London next week. Sources said the pair agreed an early finish after taking the process as far as they intended to. The first round of physical negotiations, since March when the coronavirus pandemic hit Europe, were scheduled to end on Friday.

Mr Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, claimed there are still serious gaps between the bloc and Britain.

He said: “Our goal was to get negotiations successfully and quickly on a trajectory to reach an agreement.

“However, after four days of discussions, serious divergences remain.”

Boris Johnson’s chief trade negotiator with the EU said this week’s negotiations had been useful.

Mr Frost said: “We have completed our discussion of the full range of issues in the negotiation in just over three days.

“Our talks were face to face for the first time since March and this has given extra depth and flexibility to our discussions.

“The negotiations have been comprehensive and useful. But they have also underlined the significant differences that still remain between us on a number of important issues.

“We remain committed to working hard to find an early understanding on the principles underlying an agreement out of the intensified talks process during July.”