EU-UK Brexit trade talks resume in ‘final throw of dice’

British and EU negotiators will resume talks in Brussels in a "final throw of the dice" as they try to secure a post-Brexit trade deal.

With time rapidly running out before the Brexit transition period concludes at the end of the month, Lord Frost and Michel Barnier will meet today in a last-ditch attempt to resolve the remaining issues.

Their return to the negotiating table follows an hour-long call on Saturday between Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, in which they agreed on a final push to get an agreement.

Ahead of the meeting however, British sources warned there was no guarantee they would succeed.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen makes a statement on camera regarding Brexit negotiations. Picture: Julien Warnand

"This is the final throw of the dice," said one UK source close to the negotiations.

"There is a fair deal to be done that works for both sides, but this will only happen if the EU is willing to respect the fundamental principles of sovereignty and control."

In a joint statement following their call, Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen acknowledged "significant differences" remained on the key issues of fishing rights, competition rules and the governance arrangements for any deal.

"Both sides underlined that no agreement is feasible if these issues are not resolved," they said.

"Whilst recognising the seriousness of these differences, we agreed that a further effort should be undertaken by our negotiating teams to assess whether they can be resolved.

"We are therefore instructing our chief negotiators to reconvene tomorrow in Brussels. We will speak again on Monday evening."

The call took place after Mr Barnier and Lord Frost announced on Friday that they were putting the talks on "pause" after the latest round of negotiations failed to achieve breakthrough.

Lord Frost is now travelling back to Brussels with a small team of negotiators to attempt to work through the remaining issues.

UK Environment Secretary George Eustice has accused the EU of making "ludicrous" demands over future fishing rights in the talks on a post-Brexit trade deal.

Mr Eustice said the UK was prepared to offer a multi-annual deal of up to three years, but the EU was insisting on access to British waters for its fishermen "in perpetuity".

"The EU have suggested a very modest increase that they would tolerate the UK having of the fish in its own waters, but given that we only have half of the fish in our own waters now that simply wouldn't be possible," he told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme.

"There is also the more important principle that you would not be able to give any guarantees for the long-term, otherwise you are effectively guaranteed access in perpetuity to our waters which is just not right under international law.

"We would be the only country in the entire world that could agree that, so such a suggestion really is quite ludicrous and not consistent with international law."

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves said: "Government sources overnight are saying it's the last throw of the dice - I just say to the Prime Minister, this is not a game of snakes and ladders.

"This is about people's jobs, about people's livelihoods. The Government has got to deliver on the promises they have made and we will hold them to it."