Ambassadors from across Europe today pored over the details of the UK-EU trade agreement, after Boris Johnson last night hailed the historic deal as a ‘Brexit gift’ to Britain in a Christmas video message.
As millions across Europe began celebrating Christmas Day, diplomats from each of the 27 EU member state were given a briefing by the trade bloc’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier – who was seen carrying a weighty 2,000 page binder into the meeting.
Mr Johnson, who was last night pictured reading the deal papers with a can of ale within arm’s reach, also described the agreement as a ‘new beginning’ for Britain.
And the Prime Minister was given a double boost on Christmas Eve with a tentative welcome from Euro-sceptics and a call from Sir Keir Starmer for his Labour MPs to back the deal as a ‘thin’ alternative to a No Deal Brexit.
Mr Johnson has now lined up a crucial moment next Wednesday when he will try to push the legislation underpinning the historic agreement through all its Parliamentary stages.
The 27 European Union members still have to back the deal, which was thrashed out by officials from the European Commission with the UK. They are expected to formally back the post-Brexit trade deal within days.
The deal will not be voted on by MEPs in Brussels until next year, meaning it will have to apply provisionally until they give it the green light.
In the UK, the early response from Tory MPs was positive, with one senior figure telling MailOnline they were pleased with the details so far and ‘maybe it will be a happier Christmas after all’.
A summary of the deal was published on the Government’s website at 4.30pm on Christmas Eve. Nigel Farage signalled his early support before the full 500-page text emerged suggesting he would vote for the package ‘in principle’ if he were an MP.
In a move that effectively guarantees the PM victory, Sir Keir has risked the wrath of his Remain-backing benches by announcing he will order his MPs to back the £668billion deal. Some Labour backbenchers have already signalled their intention to vote against it.
Strategists fear that being seen to oppose Brexit again could wreck any hopes of winning back critical Red Wall seats at the next election.
However, there are fears that political ‘landmines’ could be lurking in the full text of the deal.
The fishing industry has accused him of ‘sacrificing’ them to EU demands, while there will be concerns that Brussels could exploit a four-year ‘break clause’ to extract more favourable terms further down the line.
And Nicola Sturgeon has used the pact to ramp up her independence drive, saying that Scotland wants to stay inside the EU and must be given another chance to split from the UK.
The PM released a message to Twitter followers tonight urging them to stick to coronavirus guidelines on Christmas Day, but ended by giving ‘a small present for anyone who may be looking for something to read in that sleepy post-Christmas lunch moment’.
Mr Johnson said: ‘Glad tidings of great joy, because this is a deal. A deal to give certainty to business, travellers and all investors in our country from the first of January. A deal with our friends and partners in the EU.
‘You remember the oven ready deal by which we came out on January 31? That oven ready deal was just the starter. This is the feast.’
He joked it was ‘full of fish,’ before adding: ‘I believe it will be the basis of a happy and successful and stable partnership with our friends in the EU for years to come.’
Earlier tonight the PM hailed a ‘jumbo Canada-style’ free trade agreement that averts a chaotic split when the transition period ends on January 1.
‘We have taken back control of our laws and our own destiny,’ he told a Downing Street press conference, swiping at Nicola Sturgeon and others who demanded an extension of the transition period during the coronavirus crisis.
Mr Johnson – who was wearing a tie adorned with fish in a nod to one of the toughest issues – said he hoped the package would pave the way for a ‘new stability and a new certainty in what has been a fractious relationship’.
‘I think we were told you cannot have your cake and eat it,’ he said. ‘I not going to claim this is a cake-ist treaty… but it is I believe what the country needs at this time.’
Defending concessions on fishing rights, he said the country would now have ‘prodigious quantities’ of extra fish – and hinted at subsidies for the industry to boost catches.
He insisted the government could now focus on its ‘No1 priority’ of tackling Covid.
Wishing the country ‘Happy Christmas’, he joked: ‘Now for the sprouts.’
As millions across Europe began celebrating Christmas Day, diplomats from each of the 27 EU member state were given a briefing by the trade bloc’s chief negotiator Michele Barnier – who was seen carrying a weighty 2,000 page binder into the meeting
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson reads through the Brexit deal in his office in Number 10 after briefing the Cabinet on the news of a possible Brexit deal after speaking to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen earlier in the day
At a press conference tonight, the PM hailed a ‘jumbo Canada-style’ free trade agreement that averts a chaotic split when the transition period ends on January 1
Sir Keir Starmer announced tonight that he will order his MPs to back the Brexit deal. The Labour leader said the package was ‘thin’ but better than No Deal, and he would support it in the national interest
Ursula von der Leyen told her own briefing in Brussels that the terms were ‘balanced’ but that the bloc had negotiated from a ‘position of strength’ because No Deal would have been worse for Britain.
‘We have finally found an agreement. It was a long and winding road but we’ve got a good deal to show for it,’ she said.
She said the EU had protected its single market, and achieved ‘five-and-a-half years of predictability for our fishing communities and strong tools to incentivise’ for access to continue afterwards.
Ms von der Leyen said her overriding feeling was ‘relief’ rather than ‘joy’. ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow,’ she added.
Referencing one of his mantras from the talks, Mr Barnier told reporters: ‘The clock is no longer ticking.’
The confirmation had been repeatedly put back over the last 24 hours as the sides argued ‘fish by fish’ over the rules, with Ireland warning of a ‘hitch’, even though UK sources insisted there are ‘no major issues’.
In a boon for Mr Johnson, Sir Keir Starmer announced tonight that he will order his MPs to back the deal – saying it was ‘thin’ but better than No Deal. The move effectively guarantees the measures will pass.
Ursula von der Leyen told her own briefing in Brussels that the terms were ‘balanced’ but that the bloc had negotiated from a ‘position of strength’ because No Deal would have been worse for Britain
The fervent pro-European said it was ‘in the national interest’ to support the agreement despite concerns over the terms negotiated by the Government.
Sir Keir said: ‘At a moment of such national significance, it is just not credible for Labour to be on the sidelines.
‘That is why I can say today that when this deal comes before Parliament, Labour will accept it and vote for it.
‘But let me be absolutely clear – and say directly to the Government – up against no deal, we accept this deal, but the consequences of it are yours.’
Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘Whichever way you slice it, there is no doubt that this deal falls short of what’s best for London, the UK and our economy. It does not come close to the benefits we enjoyed as members of the EU.
‘However, this is the deal now on the table. While we still need to see the detail, we now have a direct choice between this agreement or a catastrophic no-deal Brexit.’
Mr Khan later criticised a ‘costly, red tape mountain’ he said would be imposed from January 1.
However, the battle to sell the package to voters and Tory MPs is already in full swing, as Mr Johnson rings round restive Tory backbenchers.
An internal government assessment insisted that the UK ‘won’ on 43 per cent of the major issues in the £668billion package, compared to 17 per cent where the EU came out on top.
There will be zero-tariff, zero-quota access to the EU single market – and Mr Johnson has maintained the ability to diverge from Brussels standards, with no role for the European Court of Justice. Disputes will be settled by an independent arbitration panel, similar to the structures already in the Withdrawal Agreement.
There is a get out clause after four years, when either side can axe the terms if they do not believe they are ‘working fairly’.
The document boasts that concessions were secured on rules of origin for goods, customs streamlining and ‘trusted trader’ schemes, while the financial services sector has been ‘insulated’. A deal will also avoid huge disruption on top of the coronavirus crisis.
However, the UK looks to have given ground on fishing rights, and secured little succour for the services sector.
For its part, France has started boasting that Mr Johnson made ‘huge concessions’ on fishing in the last stages as the mutant coronavirus variant underlined the vulnerability of UK borders.
Tory Brexiteers vowed to put together a ‘Star Chamber’ of experts to scrutinise the documents over Christmas. MailOnline understands that Mr Johnson was ‘very straightforward’ and did not try to give a ‘hard sell’ in his call with senior MPs.
One MP said subject to seeing the full text the outline was ‘what we hoped’. ‘Maybe it will be a happier Christmas after all,’ they suggested.
Nigel Farage accused Mr Johnson of ‘dropping the ball’ – but he also stressed that it was ‘progress’ and the Brexit ‘war is over’. He said pending seeing the text ‘in principle’ he would vote for the package if he were an MP.
There are fears that political ‘landmines’ in the text will inevitably be uncovered.
The FTSE 100 closed up just six points as a deal had been largely priced in, while the pound held on to recent gains and rose again slightly to 1.3547 against the US dollar.
While Keir Starmer said Labour MPs would back the deal in a vote next week, London mayor Sadiq Khan criticised the agreement, saying: ‘There is no doubt that this deal falls short of what’s best for London, the UK and our economy. It does not come close to the benefits we enjoyed as members of the EU’
Boris Johnson (pictured speaking to Ursula von der Leyen by video link today) said the UK could now take advantages of the benefits of Brexit
Following his announcement earlier today, Boris Johnson took to Twitter to urge people to comply with coronavirus rules over Christmas, before waving a copy of the Brexit deal before the camera, promising it was a ‘feast’ for Britain
In more evidence that Mr Johnson is bracing to sell a deal to voters, a leaked internal government document claims that the UK ‘won’ on 43 per cent of the major issues – compared to 17 per cent where the EU came out on top
Some experts cast doubt on the assessments in the UK document, pointing out that many of the ‘wins’ for the EU were in the crucial services sector of the economy. There is no deep provision for financial services from January 1
The UK government assessment said it had ‘insulated financial services from cross-retaliation’ in disputes about other areas of the agreement
Mr Johnson tried not to sound too triumphant as he addressed the nation, but was also bullish about what had been achieved.
‘We have taken back control of every jot and tittle of our regulation in a way that is complete and unfettered,’ he said.
‘From January 1 we are outside the customs union and outside the single market.
‘British laws will be made solely by the British Parliament interpreted by British judges sitting in UK courts and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice will come to an end.’
He added: ‘This deal above all means certainty – certainty for the aviation industry, and the hauliers, certainty for the police and border forces, security services and all those we rely on across Europe to keep us all safe.’
He added: ‘Above all, it means certainty for business – from financial services to our world-leading manufacturers, our car industry, a certainty for all those who are working in high-skilled jobs in firms and factories across the whole country.
‘There will be no palisade of tariffs on January 1, there will be no non-tariff barriers to trade.
‘Instead, there will be a giant free trade zone of which we will at once be a member and at the same time be able to do our own free trade deals as one UK.’
Mr Johnson was asked about fishing rights – where the UK will claw back 25 per cent of the existing EU catch rather than the 80 per cent it initially wanted.
‘The EU began with I think wanting a transition period of 14 years, we wanted three years, we’ve ended up at five years,’ he said.
‘I think that was a reasonable transition period and I can assure great fish fanatics in this country that we will as a result of this deal be able to catch and eat quite prodigious quantities of extra fish.’
He went on: ‘For the first time since 1973 we will be an independent coastal state with full control of our waters with the UK’s share of fish in our waters rising substantially from roughly half today to closer to two thirds in five-and-a-half years time after which there is no theoretical limits beyond those placed by science or conservation on the quantity of our own fish that we can fish in our waters.’
He continued: ‘Those fishing communities will be helped with a big £100million pound programme to modernise their fleets, and the fish processing industry.’
Directly addressing EU nations, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the UK will be ‘your friend, your ally, your supporter’ and ‘your number one market’.
‘And so I say again, directly to our EU friends and partners, I think this deal means a new stability and a new certainty in what has sometimes been a fractious and difficult relationship,’ he told a Downing Street press conference.
‘We will be your friend, your ally, your supporter, and indeed, never let it be forgotten, your number one market.
‘Because although we have left the EU, this country will remain, culturally, emotionally, historically, strategically, geologically attached to Europe.
‘Not least of course through the four million EU nationals who have requested to settle in the UK over the last four years and who make an enormous contribution to our country and to our lives.’
Asked about security arrangements and co-operation with the EU going forward, the PM said he was ‘absolutely confident this is a deal that protects our police co-operation, protects our ability to catch criminals and to share intelligence across the European continent in the way that we have done for many years’.
A senior No10 source said: ‘Everything that the British public was promised during the 2016 referendum and in the general election last year is delivered by this deal.
‘We have taken back control of our money, borders, laws, trade and our fishing waters.
‘The deal is fantastic news for families and businesses in every part of the UK. We have signed the first free trade agreement based on zero tariffs and zero quotas that has ever been achieved with the EU.’
No10 said the terms meant the UK will not be in the ‘lunar pull of the EU’. ‘We are not bound by EU rules, there is no role for the European Court of Justice and all of our key red lines about returning sovereignty have been achieved,’ the source said.
‘It means that we will have full political and economic independence on 1st January 2021.’
A spokesman added: ‘A formal review of the arrangements can take place after four years.
‘If the UK or EU does not believe the system is working fairly, either side will have the ability to bring the agreement on trade to an end. The UK and EU would then trade on Australian-style terms.’
Business groups voiced relief at the breakthrough – which had at some points seemed impossible.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium said: ‘After years of campaigning for zero-tariff trade, we welcome the announcement of a free-trade agreement between the UK and EU.
‘This protects consumers on both sides of the Channel from billions in import tariffs on everyday goods. Given that four-fifths of UK food imports come from the EU, today’s announcement should afford households around the UK a collective sigh of relief.’
Tony Danker, Director-General of The Confederation of British Industry said: ‘This will come as a huge relief to British business at a time when resilience is at an all-time low. But coming so late in the day it is vital that both sides take instant steps to keep trade moving and services flowing while firms adjust.’
Mr Johnson – who was wearing a tie adorned with fish in a nod to one of the toughest issues – said he hoped the package would pave the way for a ‘new stability and a new certainty in what has been a fractious relationship’
Ursula von der Leyen (pictured right alongside EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier (L)) told her own briefing in Brussels that the terms were ‘fair and balanced’
Nigel Farage has also signalled early support before the full 500-page text emerged, suggesting he would vote for the package ‘in principle’ if he were an MP
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said the deal was ‘better than nothing, but not by much’.
‘It won’t protect jobs and puts hard-won workers’ rights on the line,’ she said.
‘As we come out of the pandemic, we’re facing a crunch point for jobs and living standards. This deal is on the prime minister’s head – it’s his responsibility to make sure working families don’t end up worse off.
‘Now the prime minister must make good on his promise to level up Britain. And he needs to act fast. There can be no more pointing the finger at the EU.’
Labour MPs Rupa Huq, Kevin Brennan, Neil Coyle, Geraint Davies and Clive Efford are reportedly among those who criticised the deal during a briefing for the Parliamentary Labour Party hosted by shadow Cabinet Office Minister, Rachel Reeves.
The Telegraph says the MPs have signalled their refusal to vote for the deal in Parliament, according to sources present on the call.
Ms Sturgeon also piled in, saying the news underlined the importance of Scotland becoming an ‘independent country’.
‘It beggars belief that in the midst of a pandemic and economic recession Scotland has been forced out of the EU single market and customs union with all the damage to jobs that will bring,’ she said.
‘A deal is better than no deal. But, just because, at the eleventh hour, the UK Government has decided to abandon the idea of a no-deal outcome, it should not distract from the fact that they have chosen a hard Brexit, stripping away so many of the benefits of EU membership.’
Labour’s Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said: ‘It is appalling that it has taken until a week before we leave the transition period to give the first indication of the terms on which we will trade with our most important trading partner. This will only add to the enormous challenges facing our businesses.’
David Cameron, who called the EU referendum before losing and quitting as PM, said: ‘It’s good to end a difficult year with some positive news.’
Theresa May, who was also swept away by Brexit wrangling, said: ‘Very welcome news that the UK & EU have reached agreement on the terms of a deal – one that provides confidence to business and helps keep trade flowing. Looking forward to seeing the detail in the coming days.’
There were positive early signs for Mr Johnson, as Brexit Party leader Mr Farage said the deal as he understood it was ‘not perfect’ – but he would back it ‘in principle’.
‘I’m worried that we’re going to be too closely aligned to Eu rules,’ he told Sky News, dismissing the idea it was a Canada-style agreement.
But he added: ‘If we take the big picture… this may not be perfect, but it’s a very very big day and a big step forward.
Asked if he would vote for it if he were an MP, Mr Farage said the Commons should have a vote in principle now and scrutinise the package more closely later. ‘I’d need to see the detail, and I would not want to be bounced,’ he said.
‘In principle, given where we are right now, given this has been the most divisive issue in British politics… yes in principle I would.’
Ms von der Leyen quoted Shakespeare and TS Eliot as she struck a sombre tone at her press conference.
She used a line from Romeo and Juliet to express her mood, saying ‘parting is such sweet sorrow’.
‘At the end of a successful negotiations journey, I normally feel joy,’ she said.
‘But today I only feel quiet satisfaction and – frankly speaking – relief. I know this is a difficult day for some. To our friends in the UK, I want to say: parting is such sweet sorrow.
‘But to use a line from TS Eliot: what we call the beginning is often the end, and to make an end is to make a beginning.
‘So to all the Europeans, I say: It is time to leave Brexit behind, our future is made in Europe.’
Hopes had been growing all yesterday after it was claimed the difference between Lord Frost and Mr Barnier had come down to fish worth the equivalent of a Premier League footballer’s transfer fee.
But the final touches required more input from the political leadership of Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen.
As the propaganda war gets underway, an internal UK government document laid out 65 key issues during the talks – and claimed that Lord Frost had won on 28 of them.
By contrast the EU was said to have come out on top in just 11.
The remaining 26 were classified as ‘mutual compromises’ – including the critical area of fishing rights.
Notably the assessment states that the package delivers ‘on all the objectives set out by Vote Leave’.
A senior Tory source told MailOnline the document, leaked to the Guido Fawkes blog, was authentic. However, it is understood Cabinet ministers have not been shown it yet.
However, some experts cast doubt on the assessments, pointing out that many of the ‘wins’ for the EU were in the crucial services sector of the economy. There is no deep provision for financial services from January 1.
JPMorgan said it looked like the EU had secured a deal retaining nearly all of its advantages from trade with the UK, but with the ability to use regulations to ‘cherry pick’ among sectors where Britain previously had advantages – such as services.
Lord Frost tweeted: ‘I’m very pleased and proud to have led a great UK team to secure today’s excellent deal with the EU.
‘Both sides worked tirelessly day after day in challenging conditions to get the biggest & broadest trade deal in the world, in record time. Thank you all who made it happen.
‘Today’s agreement does more than just deliver a zero tariffs deal. It covers areas such as services, aviation, road transport, social security, health, fisheries, and, crucially, law enforcement. And it allows us to participate in the Horizon scientific research programme.
‘It also restores Britain’s sovereignty in full. EU law ceases to apply; the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice ends; there is no alignment with EU rules; and our Parliament sets all laws for our country once again.
‘Our country begins a new journey as a fully independent country once again on 1 January. Our future and our prosperity are in our hands. I am confident we will thrive and succeed.’
Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said there appeared to be ‘some sort of last-minute hitch’ in the talks – although he said he expected it to be overcome.
Mr Coveney told RTE Radio the delay related to a section of a fisheries agreement.
‘I had hoped to be talking to you this morning in parallel with big announcements happening in both London and Brussels, but we still expect those later on today,’ he said.
Brexiteers have already been voicing caution about the terms before they are announced.
The Tory Eurosceptic ERG group chairman Mark Francois and vice-chair David Jones said: ‘Assuming a deal between UK and the EU is officially confirmed tonight, the ERG will tomorrow reconvene the panel of legal experts, chaired by Sir Bill Cash, to examine the details and legal text.’
Senior Tory MP Bernard Jenkin added: ‘Amid the expectation of an EU-UK agreement, ERG MPs will want to wait until we have seen a legal text and we understand what it means, if our opinion is to have any credibility.’
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage did not wait for the terms to emerge, accusing the UK side of ‘dropping the ball’.
‘It sounds like the British team have dropped the ball before the line. No wonder they want a Christmas Eve announcement to hide the fisheries sell-out,’ he tweeted.
But one No10 aide told Politico that the UK had secured a good deal on fishing. ‘Even before the end of the transition period we will take back control of 130,000 tonnes a year, enough to stretch to the South Pole and back,’ they said.
‘After that we can fish and eat every damn fish in our waters.’
Climate minister Lord Goldsmith – a close ally of Mr Johnson and strong Eurosceptic – warned that there is a ‘very large constituency of people who are absolutely longing to trash the deal – and will do so irrespective of its merits’.
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds warned that the expected deal would still result in a ‘major negative impact’ on GDP.
She said: ‘Indications a deal is imminent mean many businesses are breathing a sigh of relief.
‘Yet early indications suggest this thin deal will have a major negative impact on GDP.
‘With key industries subject to substantial barriers, these are not the promised ‘exact same benefits’.’
Posting a photo of pizza boxes on Twitter last night, Mr Mamer said: ‘Pizza has arrived… Is it Frutti di mare? Or Bismarck? Or good old 4 stagione? Suspense…’
The Treasury’s OBR watchdog had warned that No Deal would inflict a further two per cent hit on the already struggling economy.
And Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey suggested the long-term harm to the economy would have been greater than from Covid-19.
Mr Johnson conceded that the initial phase of No Deal would be ‘difficult’ – but had insisted the UK would ‘prosper mightily’ whatever happened.
Chairman of Barclays UK Sir Ian Cheshire said a trade deal with the EU would bring clarity to business.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘This was pure politics. It was always the last minute sort of rabbit from the hat.
‘And I’m very glad that it appears we can carry on with… our most important trading relationship.
‘And business can plan. I think that’s been the overriding issue for businesses over the last two years. They are occasionally accused of not being ready, and the question is – ready for what?
‘At least now we have got clarity and we can get on.’
Mr Johnson’s decision to take personal charge of the negotiations at the weekend is believed to have been critical in breaking the deadlock.
‘He knew where his red lines were because he set them – he was completely across the detail,’ one source told the Mail. ‘When it was all over, von der Leyen asked ‘Do we have a deal?’ He replied simply ‘Yes’.’
A last-minute protest by French president Emmanuel Macron – long seen as the biggest obstacle to an agreement, with his demands on fishing rights – is regarded as the one remaining threat.
The government assessment listed a series of UK wins – although some experts suggested they were rose-tinted
Downing Street was bustling today as the world awaited confirmation of a post-Brexit trade agreement
Boris Johnson joined a virtual call with British Military personnel from around the globe last night to thank them for their services and to wish them a Merry Christmas
Ms von der Leyen’s spokesman posted a picture of his pizza dinner on Twitter, joking about the ‘suspense’ over whether it might be topped with seafood
He then followed up his tweet by recommending Brexit-waters ‘grab some sleep’, with work continuing throughout the night
A member of the British delegation loads a soup cauldron into a van outside the UK Mission to the EU in Brussels last night – while pizza was delivered to the EU commission building
Mr Macron, who faces elections in 2022, has been desperate to keep his powerful fishing industry onside.
His possible challenger in the polls, Marine Le Pen, of the far-Right National Rally, picked up large numbers of votes in 2017.
Tensions rose between London and Paris at the weekend when the French government decided to shut its borders for 48 hours after the emergence of a newer, more infectious strain of coronavirus.
Tory MPs and Downing Street aides speculated that Mr Macron’s decision was, in part, a means of punishing Britain over its decision to leave the European Union.
But sources close to the French president, a sworn Europhile, angrily denied those suggestions in conversations with the Mail this week.
They said Mr Johnson’s own dramatic messaging had triggered panic among European governments who simply wanted to stop the spread of the virus.
Diplomats in Brussels said Germany was most concerned about Britain trying to undercut and outcompete European firms after Brexit.
The EU will short-cut its own processes, with the Council of member states granting ‘provisional’ implementation before the deadline, rather than the European Parliament approving it in advance.
But EU leaders have to agree the deal unanimously.
And the curtailed process has angered many MEPs, as they will be under massive pressure to rubber stamp the deal if it has already come into effect.
The agreement covers vast areas of the UK’s relationship with the EU, including trade, security and travel.
Despite hopes of confirmation coming last night, the EU and UK teams dug in for a lengthy shift, with pizzas being delivered to the Berlaymont HQ in Brussels.
Ms von der Leyen’s spokesman Eric Mamer posted a picture of the takeaway on Twitter, joking about the ‘suspense’ over whether it was topped with seafood.
Ministers hope the news will boost morale in what looks set to be the toughest of winters. The pound rose sharply yesterday on the back of mounting speculation that agreement was near.
The breakthrough came as Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that a surge of Covid cases would put much of the country under heavy restrictions, probably for months.
In an emergency statement, he announced that another eight million people would be placed under Tier Four restrictions on Boxing Day.
That will put the entire South East and much of East Anglia under virtual lockdown.
Mr Hancock also revealed mounting concern about a new ‘super-strain’ of the virus which has reached the UK from South Africa.
Government sources said the EU deal would see British fishermen able to land roughly two thirds of fish in UK waters by the middle of the decade.
But a senior Tory predicted the agreement would ‘land badly’ with Eurosceptic MPs. It is understood to involve the EU handing back only 25 per cent of its share of quota from UK waters, with the cuts phased in over five and a half years.
MPs are set to be recalled to Parliament to vote the deal through in time for the end of the transition on December 31. The agreement came after days of frantic negotiation.
Sources claim it was almost derailed when the EU proposed measures they say would have crippled Britain’s drive to become a world leader in electric cars.
‘We have got it to a place we are happy with,’ a source said. ‘It upholds all the principles we said we would not compromise on. Yes, we have made compromises in some areas, but we have not compromised on the fundamentals of taking back control.’
Another senior Tory said the deal would ensure ‘zero tariff, zero quota access to European markets’ alongside security co-operation. ‘There will be no European Court of Justice messing us around,’ the source said.
However, the Prime Minister is braced for accusations of betrayal from Eurosceptic Tories, some of whom had urged the PM to walk away rather than compromise.
The last push for a deal revolved around a compromise over the sensitive issue of fishing in UK waters, with reports suggesting that they could be down to catches worth £60million.
To put that figure into context, it is considerably less than the £89million that took midfielder Paul Pogba from Juventus to Manchester United in 2016, which remains the record transfer for a player moving to the top flight in England.
Fishing rights were the most intractable part of the negotiations. Boris Johnson made clear that Britain would be an independent coastal state in charge of access to its own waters – with UK fishermen able to catch a far greater proportion of the available fish than their EU competitors.
Brussels had demanded unfettered access to Britain’s waters for a decade. The UK had offered a three-year transition period.
According to reports, the UK has ended up reclaiming 25 per cent of the EU’s fishing quota – with changes phased in over five-and-a-half years.
Downing Street insists this will mean UK fleets catching two-thirds of the fish in domestic waters by 2026, but the compromise appears nearer the EU’s starting position.
Tory MP Robert Halfon joked that he would support a Brexit deal if it forced people to eat Christmas pudding every day
Nigel Farage was condemning the post-Brexit trade deal before it had even been announced
Angela Merkel (pictured left) is a key powerplayer in the EU. Emmanuel Macron (pictured right taking a Cabinet meeting from coronavirus self-isolation) was seen as the biggest obstacle to a Brexit trade deal
Exports of meat, fish and dairy products to the EU will be able to continue beyond January 1 after the UK was granted ‘national listed status’.
The measure means live animals and products of animal origin can be supplied to the EU after Brussels confirmed the UK met health and biosecurity standards.
The EU has also agreed to the exports of many plants and plant products can continue being exported to the bloc and Northern Ireland.
But seed potatoes – an important Scottish export – will be banned, leading Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to condemn the ‘disastrous’ outcome.
UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: ‘Third country listed status demonstrates our very high standards of biosecurity and animal health which we will continue to maintain after the end of the transition period.’
Businesses in the £5billion animal export market will face some red tape in order to continue exporting, including the need for a health certificate.
While potatoes destined for European dinner plates can continue to be exported, those used as seed crops cannot be.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it will not be possible to export seed potatoes to the EU or Northern Ireland from January 1 but officials were working with the European Commission on the issue.
Ms Sturgeon said it was a ‘disastrous Brexit outcome for Scottish farmers’ and ‘like all other aspects of Brexit, foisted on Scotland against our will’.
Crucially for the breakthrough, Ms von der Leyen is said to have established back channels to German Chancellor Angela Merkel – the EU’s powerbroker – and Mr Macron.
Diplomatic sources said Mr Barnier had not even been aware of the content of secret talks between the Prime Minister and Mrs von der Leyen on Monday night – suggesting he had become increasingly sidelined in the final days of negotiations.
However, Mr Barnier has insisted it is ‘normal’ that high-level politicians must make the final moves in such a negotiation.
The Labour chair of the Commons Brexit Committee Hilary Benn said he has ‘no doubt’ Parliament will approve legislation for a deal if one is brokered before January 31.
The Remain-backing MP told BBC Breakfast: ‘The alternative is no-deal and that really doesn’t bear contemplation at all because of the damage it would do to the economy.
‘What any deal is going to do is to make the consequences of Brexit for business less bad than they would otherwise be.
‘Remember this is the first trade deal in history where one party has gone in knowing it will come out with worse arrangements than it went in with.’
He added: ‘I think not just over the next week but over the next few months, as Brexit actually happens… there are going to be big changes anyway from January 1 whether there is agreement or not and regardless of what’s in the agreement…
‘Over time we will become more aware of what we can’t now do because we’ve taken it for granted.’
As the crunch point neared, French Europe minister Clement Beaune said a no-deal situation would be ‘catastrophic’ for the UK and suggested the EU should hold out.
‘We should not put ourselves, Europeans, under time pressure to finish by this hour or that day. Otherwise we would be put ourselves in a situation to make bad concessions.’
But Mrs von der Leyen is said to have leaned on Mr Macron and the leaders of other coastal states to accept the deal.
Mr Barnier told MEPs at a briefing earlier this week that a compromise on fishing would have to be decided by political leaders.
‘We haven’t reached an agreement on fisheries, despite the talks,’ he said. ‘There are subjects that I can’t resolve – only a few which are very political and very sensitive matters – but I can’t resolve them at my level.
‘It is normal at this stage that there are subjects that need to be dealt with by President von der Leyen at her level with Boris Johnson.’
The Prime Minister has admitted to allies that he has made significant compromises in recent days, including on fishing.
But he warned that he would not go further without movement from the EU.
Differences also needed to be bridged over state subsidies, where the EU was pushing demands which British negotiators describe as ‘unbalanced’.
Brussels wanted the right to penalise the UK if it uses subsidies to enable British firms to undercut EU rivals.
Reports claimed that the latest British offer on fishing would involve the EU sacrificing around 25 per cent of its share of quota in UK waters over a five-year period.
It is a big compromise on Lord Frost’s original demand that the EU hand back 60 per cent over three years. But it is much more than Mr Barnier’s offer to hand back just 15 per cent over ten years.
It would mean the UK keeping two-thirds of fish in its waters, and quotas are expected to be negotiated annually rather than over a longer period as Brussels had wanted.
So what’s in Boris’s Brexit deal? PM gives ground to Brussels over UK fish but claims victory over competition rules and EU laws, with agreement to maintain counter-terror and crime-fighting partnerships
It’s the document the (political) world has been waiting for – and it’s feared to be no fewer than 2,000 pages long.
This morning EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart Lord Frost were still combing through the Brexit trade deal, line by line.
Talks in Brussels were focused on the details of fishing rights but both sides have indicated a Christmas Eve deal will be announced, bringing an end to months of wrangling just a week before current trading arrangements expire.
Some feared it would never materialise. But the world could soon finally see the agreement – which will shape every aspect of Britain’s future relationship with the EU.
Analysis of the deal-in waiting by the UK Government suggests it ‘won’ in talks on 43 per cent of the ‘key issues’ in the talks. It labels a further 40 per cent at compromises for both sides, with just 17 per cent down as ‘EU wins’.
Almost a year in the making, the deal has involved hundreds of officials working round the clock to agree its terms. So, what are the key areas – and what will we be signing up to?
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier (third from left) and his British counterpart Lord Frost were still combing through the Brexit trade deal
FISHING
Last night it appeared that Britain had given ground on this major sticking point to get a deal done.
Fishing rights have been the most intractable part of the negotiations. Boris Johnson made clear that Britain would be an independent coastal state in charge of access to its own waters – with UK fishermen able to catch a far greater proportion of the available fish than their EU competitors.
Brussels had demanded unfettered access to Britain’s waters for a decade. The UK had offered a three-year transition period.
According to early reports, what we have ended up taking back is 25 per cent of the EU’s fishing quota – with changes phased in over five-and-a-half years.
Downing Street says this will mean we are catching two-thirds of the fish in our waters by 2026 – but there is no doubt that this compromise appears nearer the EU’s starting position than ours, at least in the short term.
The Government document, seen by the Guido Fawkes website, insists that the situation is a mutual compromise – the UK gave ground on the size of the quotas, the EU gave ground on how long they have access for.
However, perhaps in a bid to save face, French sources suggested the situation was a win for the EU. A French government source said UK negotiators had made ‘huge concessions’ on fisheries.
But the sides were still said to be arguing ‘fish by fish’ over the rules this morning, with Ireland warning of a ‘hitch’, even though UK sources insisted there are ‘no major issues’.
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
Another bone of contention has been Brussels’ fear that Britain could take advantage of leaving the bloc by lowering standards to make its firms more competitive.
The EU was also worried that the UK could give more financial help to its own firms.
As a result, it demanded a ‘level playing field’ to avoid a race to the bottom on issues such as workers’ rights and environmental regulation.
It also wanted Britain to continue to accept a slew of EU rules.
The UK said this would pose an ‘existential threat’ to its sovereignty. Britain said it would settle for No Deal rather than face being tied to EU rules after Brexit.
Last night it appeared that Britain had given ground on this major sticking point to get a deal done. Pictured: Boris Johnson with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on the steps of No10 Downing Street earlier this year
In the end, both parties appear to have agreed a common baseline of regulations on some issues, below which neither side will plunge.
However, the EU has also been insisting that if one side raised standards and the other did not, the latter should be penalised if failure to keep up resulted in unfair competition.
Instead, it is likely the two sides have agreed an independent mechanism to resolve matters if one side diverges too far from common standards. This would ultimately make rulings on retaliatory tariffs in the event of a dispute.
The Government claims it ‘won’ five of the eight key sticking points in this part of negotiations, including EU law, the ability of the UK to set its own subsidy rates, competition and tax rules.
OVERSIGHT
A related– and thorny – issue is that of the European Court of Justice. British sources indicated that the ECJ will have no say in the resolution of any rows.
This had been a key demand from Westminster, to avoid the erosion of British sovereignty.
Brussels conceded that it could not have the unilateral right to impose penalties on Britain – although it did push hard for a strong and independent arbitration system.
The EU had hoped to punish Britain for ‘breaking rules’ in one area by hitting back in another – allowing them to impose tariffs or taxes in an unrelated sector to inflict the most damage possible.
TARIFFS
In the end, Britain and the EU appear to have agreed a zero-tariff and zero-quota regime – a significant victory for Mr Johnson. Trade with the EU accounts for 43 per cent of the UK’s exports and 51 per cent of its imports.
Another bone of contention has been Brussels’ fear that Britain could take advantage of leaving the bloc by lowering standards to make its firms more competitive. Pictured: European Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier
The prospect of No Deal – and trading with Brussels on World Trade Organization terms, as Australia does – prompted fears of massive extra costs for businesses, which would have been passed on to the public.
As talks reached the sharp end, ministers accepted that No Deal would lead to many staple food items costing more at the supermarket.
Farmers warned however that they would still face non-tariff costs on extports.
Farmers’ Union of Wales president Glyn Roberts welcomed the EU’s formal listing of the UK as a ‘third country’ – a move which is essential in terms of allowing Welsh food exports to the EU.
‘However, our access to the EU market, which is the destination for three-quarters of Welsh food and drink exports, will still face significant barriers after December 31, with non-tariff barrier costs expected to rise by 4 per cent to 8 per cent,’ he said.
Mr Roberts said the full text of an agreement would have to be scrutinised in order to assess the full impacts and benefits, and a number of concerns existed including in terms of seed potato exports.
‘Nevertheless, the Welsh farming industry, like others the length and breadth of Great Britain, will be celebrating Christmas having breathed a huge sigh of relief that a deal seems close to being agreed,’ he added.
POLICING AND SECURITY
Sources say there has been some level of agreement on the key issue of security co-operation.
Britain had wanted to maintain the same access to shared databases that it has now – only for the EU to claim this was not an option for non-members.
Ultimately, the UK appears to have secured greater access than it would have received in a No Deal Brexit.
The UK Government document says the agreement ‘provides for fast and effective exchange of criminal records data between UK and EUMS through shared technical infrastructure (European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS)).’
There will also be ‘fast and effective exchange of national DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data’.
The UK also appears to have been given greater access to Europol than other non-EU countries because of its past contribution to the crime agency. There is also a fast-track agreement on extradition.
HOLIDAYS AND HEALTHCARE
striking a deal means Britons will find it easier to travel to the continent than they would have if talks had failed.
It is also hoped that tourists will have access to hospital treatment when travelling abroad.
The UK has argued that the European Health Insurance Card, or EHIC, should also continue to be valid after the Brexit transition period ends on December 31 – sparing tourists the ordeal of arranging their own insurance.
Read in full: Government summary of Christmas Eve’s historic Brexit agreement with the EU
It’s the essential Christmas read that you won’t find under your Christmas tree this year – a summary of Britain’s Brexit deal.
Boris Johnson last night heralded the UK’s free trade deal with the EU as a ‘small present’ to the British public this Christmas.
A summary was published by Number 10 at 4.30pm on Christmas, hours before the Prime Minister issued his ‘Brexmas’ message.
The PM has lined up a crucial moment next Wednesday when he will try to push the legislation underpinning the historic agreement through all its Parliamentary stages.
He was last night given a double boost with a tentative welcome from Euro-sceptics and a call from Sir Keir Starmer for his Labour MPs to back it.
Here, in full, is the Government’s UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, first published on the website of the Prime Minister’s Office.
