UK must prepare for no-deal Brexit unless EU conducts 'fundamental change of approach': Johnson

Reuters , Friday 16 Oct 2020

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was responding to EU leaders, who said at a Brussels summit that the UK needs to shift its positions to make an agreement possible

Boris Johnson
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London, Britain October 12, 2020 REUTERS

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the U.K. must prepare for a no-deal break with the European Union unless there is a ``fundamental'' change of position from the bloc.

Johnson says the EU is refusing to give Britain a trade deal like the one it has with Canada, which the U.K. is seeking.

Johnson was responding to EU leaders, who said at a Brussels summit that the U.K. needs to shift its positions to make an agreement possible.

The U.K. had threatened to walk away from the talks if a deal was not struck by the EU summit that ends Friday.

Johnson didn't go that far, but said the EU seemed to have ``abandoned'' the idea of a deal. He said Britain would listen if there was ``a fundamental change of approach'' from Brussels.

Britain officially left the EU on Jan. 31 but remains part of its economic structures until Dec. 31. After that it needs a new trade agreement or will face tariffs and other economic barriers with the EU, its biggest trading partner.

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