Brexit news: EU pours scorn on UK ‘spin’, as Boris Johnson told now is 'moment of truth'

EU officials sceptical about British positivity and ‘spin’

So what are the chances of a Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU before the end of 2020? Michael Gove told MPs on Wednesday the chances were around “66 per cent” – while No 10’s negotiator also sounded relatively upbeat.

But EU officials are sceptical about the shift in tone from Downing Street, claiming the UK side was “pushing a sense of positivism and momentum, but we just don’t see it”.

One Brussels official has told Politico: “We are seriously questioning their tactic and why they are sending these kinds of messages as there is no deal in sight at all at this point.

“There’s clearly a spin that the UK wants to get out there: a deal is within reach, only fish is still a problem. That’s complete nonsense, as a deal on none of the EU’s red lines is nowhere in sight at this stage.”

‘Important to learn lessons along the way’ of pandemic, science and technology chair says

The chair of the science and technology select committee, Greg Clark, who has set up a Covid-19 inquiry with the former health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has said it is “very important to learn lessons along the way” rather than wait until the pandemic is over.

Boris Johnson meets Ukraine president in Downing Street

The PM has insisted Britain’s support for Ukraine is “rock solid” as the country’s president thanked the UK for his backing in the face of Russian aggression.

The two leaders met in Downing Street to sign a strategic partnership agreement covering trade and defence ties. Johnson told Volodymyr Zelensky: “We are very pleased and excited that it will intensify the relationship between Britain and the Ukraine . Our commitment to Ukraine is rock solid. We are with you 100 per cent.”

The Ukrainian president said: “Thank you for your support of sovereignty of the Ukraine especially now when we see the aggression by Russia.”

Keir Starmer says Labour will not side with Tory rebels to vote down 10pm pub curfew

Labour will not side with Tory rebels to defeat the government over its 10pm coronavirus pub curfew, Keir Starmer has indicated.

The leader of the opposition said that his party would not vote down the restriction, but warned there was “growing concern” about it.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has the details:

Nearly half of small businesses believe there will Brexit extension

Almost half of all small businesses are still not convinced that the UK will actually transition out of the EU at the end of this year – despite a government information campaign costing £70m to let them know.

The senior civil servants running the transition project have told MPs on the public accounts committee about the scepticism and lack of preparedness.

Cabinet Office permanent secretary Alex Chisholm said: “When we’ve been doing polling, we’ve seen that a number of small businesses – I think it was 43 per cent at the last count – still believed there was going to be an extension at the end of the transition period.”

The Cabinet Office officials also admitted many of the 200,000 firms which export to Europe are expected to be “frustrated” by new red tape which will suddenly be required from the end of the year.

No emergency weekend talks, as Barnier flies in to London

Downing Street has said that the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, will travel to London on Thursday evening ahead of talks with his UK counterpart Lord Frost on Friday.

The PM’s official spokesman said that following the conclusion of talks on Friday, they would resume in Brussels “early next week”.

But with just a week to go until the European Council summit set by the PM as the deadline for determining whether a deal can be reached, there are no plans for the negotiators to continue discussions over the weekend.

The PM’s spokesman said: “We have been perfectly clear about the need to work towards the 15 October European Council, the EU has agreed to intensified talks, those have been taking place this week and you will see more of them next week.”

Lorry drivers will get help with Kent access permits, says Gove

Lorry drivers making channel crossings from Kent will need a special access permit to enter the English county following the end of the Brexit transition period, the government has confirmed.

The scheme was originally announced last month by Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove. And according to the latest, updated guidance, a new government “check an HGV” service will enable hauliers to check if they have the correct customs documentation in order to obtain one of the Kent access permit (KAP).

Following the release of the latest guidance, Gove said: “With fewer than three months to go, businesses need to prepare now for new procedures, whether or not we reach a trade agreement with the EU, so that they can seize the significant opportunities that lie ahead.”

Jess Glover, the Cabinet Office director-general for transition, described it as a new “web service” when she appeared before MPs earlier today. The Brexit sceptics at Best for Britain sounded … sceptical.

PM still needs to make ‘significant steps’ for Brexit deal, says EU

European Council president Charles Michel said the EU stands in solidarity with Ireland – and again bashed Boris Johnson’s for planning to break the withdrawal agreement.

“My message is simple: the EU stands in full solidarity with Ireland … This [withdrawal agreement] text has been negotiated for three years, each word, each comma has been debated for hours and hours … There is simply no question of its full implementation.”

Michel said “significant steps” needed to be taken by the EU’s “British friends” in the coming days if agreement was to be reached. “The coming days are crucial, this is the moment of truth,” he said, before saying again it was time for the UK to “put all its cards on the table”.

Irish premier Micheal Martin described the Brexit negotiations as “very challenging”. He added: “There needs to be movement in terms of getting into end-stage negotiations and we feel there’s a lot of work to be done yet on a number of fronts.”

Government updates Brexit border model

The government has updated its border operating model for Brexit, writes Jon Stone. There aren't really any surprises in it, but it has confirmed two things:

1) Truckers will need a Kent Access Permit to get into Kent if they plan to cross the Channel, to avoid congestion and tail-backs at ports, and

2) EU/EEA ID cards won't be valid for travel to the UK anymore, from October next year.

This last point is significant for many Europeans, who travel on ID cards if they don't have a passport or don't want to carry one.

But it will make little difference to Brits, who by and large don't have ID cards and travel on passports anyway.

Allegra Stratton appointed new No10 spokesperson

Allegra Stratton has been appointed as Boris Johnson’s press secretary to front the new White House-style televised briefings at No 10, writes Ashley Cowburn.

Until now, the former ITV journalist has been working alongside the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, as director of communications.