Brexit Risk Aplenty

Plenty of weekend Brexit risk to discount, with reports of jockeying from both sides of the channel evident ahead of the latest round of Brexit talks.

• The most recent, and perhaps most headline grabbing piece, came from the FT, with suggestions that "the UK is planning new legislation that will override key parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, risking the collapse of trade negotiations with Brussels."
• Elsewhere a piece from The Sunday Times suggested that "Britain has ramped up planning for no-deal as senior figures in government have predicted that the chance of securing a Brexit trade agreement with Brussels is now less than 20%." Meanwhile, a Telegraph source suggested that "the Brexit negotiations will be over in days unless the EU realises Britain is serious about no-deal."
• Dominic Raab and David Frost continued to press home the UK's red lines surrounding fisheries and state aid.
• From across the Channel, The Independent noted that "the EU parliament has dashed hopes that Brexit negotiators could be given more time to avert a no-deal, drawing a red line on an extension to talks." Elsewhere, The Guardian highlighted that "Boris Johnson's hopes of a Brexit deal have been dealt a fresh blow as Brussels ruled out EU leaders intervening in the troubled negotiations at a summit this month."
• We also saw an EU spokesperson quickly push back against a Telegraph source report suggesting that EU Chief Brexit negotiator Barnier could be sidelined by EU leaders.
• The schedule for this week's talks can be found below.

Source: European Union