Von der Leyen warns UK that EU will act on Brexit deal breaches

Ursula von der Leyen has said the UK will face tough action if it breaches the Brexit trade agreement, as MEPs finally prepared to approve the Christmas Eve deal.

The EU Commission president said the deal has “real teeth”, with a binding dispute resolution mechanism which allowed for “unilateral remedial measures where necessary”.

Von der Leyen said she didn’t want to use these tools but that the EU wouldn’t hesitate to act if they thought it was necessary, in an address to the European Parliament.