Daily Brexit talks to start as Boris Johnson stands firm on deadline

Brexit talks between British and EU officials will begin taking place daily, the UK Government has said following the first meeting between Boris Johnson and the Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker met Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Over a working lunch of oysters and fish, Mr Juncker reminded the Prime Minister that it was “the UK's responsibility to come forward with legally operational solutions” to the issues around the Irish border.

Mr Johnson went into the meeting insisting he would not request an extension to the UK’s 31 October EU exit date, despite a legal obligation to do so if no deal has been agreed with Brussels within a month.

Amid speculation that a deal could be accompanied by a longer post-Brexit transition period, Mr Johnson also said following talks in Luxembourg that EU regulations would cease to apply at the end of December 2020, limiting the amount of time available to negotiate the UK’s future trade relationship with Brussels.

“The leaders agreed that the discussions needed to intensify and that meetings would soon take place on a daily basis,” a Downing Street spokesman said.

“It was agreed that talks should also take place at a political level between Michel Barnier and the Brexit Secretary, and conversations would also continue between President Juncker and the Prime Minister”.

In a statement, the EU Commission said “proposals have not yet been made” that can resolve the problem of how to maintain the status quo along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.