Brexit: Theresa May warns British public not to expect a deal until last minute

Theresa May has warned the British public not to expect a Brexit deal until close to the last minute of the talks, as the negotiations hit the buffers again.

The Prime Minister said it would be “close to the end of that period’ before any agreement could be expected – which would mean the talks dragging on for another year at least.

The warning came as Ms May faced Labour taunts in the Commons that Cabinet infighting and “confusion” were wrecking hopes of a breakthrough in Brussels.

Pointing out that it was 15 months since she reached No 10, Jeremy Corbyn said: “What on earth has the government been doing all this time?”

The clashes came as the Government published two white papers which underlined how ministers are now preparing to crash out of the EU with “no deal”

Meanwhile, Brussels rebuffed Ms May’s insistence she would make no further compromises in the talks, when she insisted – of the EU - “the ball’s in their court”

“There has been, so far, no solution found on step one, which is the divorce proceedings, so the ball is entirely in the UK’s court for the rest to happen,” said Margaritis Schinas, the European Commission’s chief spokeswoman.

In the Commons, Ms May was asked to set out the costs to Britain of leaving the EU with a deal – and of leaving without one, if the talks collapse.

“It’s not possible to answer that question,” she told Labour MP Catherine West.

“We are negotiating a deal. We will not have negotiated that deal until, I suspect, close to the end of that period that’s been set aside for it.

“At that point, we will be able to see what the benefits of that deal will be for the British economy.”

The Prime Minister told MPs that “real and tangible progress” was being made in the Brexit talks since her high-profile speech in Florence last month.

But she made clear that new policy papers on trade and customs would allow Britain to operate as an “independent trading nation” - even if no trade deal is reached with Brussels.

“I'm optimistic it will receive a positive response, because what we are seeking is not just the best possible deal for us, but I believe that will also be the best possible deal for our friends, too,” the Prime Minister said.

But Mr Corbyn said it was “staggering” that such little progress had been made – blaming a Cabinet at each other’s throats.

“Half the Conservative party want the Foreign Secretary sacked – the other half want the Chancellor sacked,” the Labour leader said.

Warning “the reality for this Tory government is beginning to bite”, Mr Corbyn added: “If things don’t improve, the reality may soon begin to bite for the jobs and living standards of the people of this country.”