Dec 2020. Brexit Talks 11 Dec

Boris Johnson is being accused of putting Britain on course for a no-deal Brexit, claiming it is now “very, very likely”, as it emerged that Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel have flatly rejected his appeal for direct talks. In a pointed toughening up of his language, the prime minister claimed Britain was on a path to leaving the single market and customs union without any trade or security agreement, describing it as a potentially “wonderful” outcome. Earlier in the day, the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, had similarly warned about the trajectory of the talks, telling EU leaders she believed there was a greater chance of a no-deal exit than an agreement.