Johnson goes to Brussels in bid to break talks deadlock

The Prime Minister and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen agreed to the meeting after a lengthy telephone call to take stock of the faltering negotiations.

Despite the commitment to a face-to-face meeting, the pair acknowledged significant differences remained with time running out before current trading arrangements expire at the end of the month.

UK sources said “no tangible progress” had been made during the negotiations, which were now looking “very tricky”.

In a joint statement, Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen said: “As agreed on Saturday, we took stock today of the ongoing negotiations.

“We agreed that the conditions for finalising an agreement are not there, due to the remaining significant differences on three critical issues: level playing field, governance and fisheries.

“We asked our chief negotiators and their teams to prepare an overview of the remaining differences to be discussed in a physical meeting in Brussels in the coming days.”

Their second call in a little over 48 hours came after Michel Barnier and his UK counterpart Lord Frost spent the day talking in Brussels.

The negotiators spent the last week talking in London, but the stalemate continues with major differences on the three issues which have blocked progress for months.

A senior Government source said: “Talks are in the same position now as they were on Friday. We have made no tangible progress.” Hopes now rest on an intervention by Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen to rescue the process.

“It’s clear this must now continue politically,” the source said.

“Whilst we do not consider this process to be closed, things are looking very tricky and there’s every chance we are not going to get there.”

Downing Street said earlier on Monday that it was prepared to continue talks for “as long as we have time available”, but admitted time was in “very short supply”.

The comments appeared to be at odds with the EU’s chief negotiator Mr Barnier, who reportedly told MEPs the deadline for talks succeeding is Wednesday.

The meeting between Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen is not expected to take place on Tuesday, leaving Wednesday and Thursday as the most likely days.