Brexit talks at 'crucial' stage, says Michel Barnier, as he suggests midnight deadline will be missed

Talks could now run until Christmas - or beyond - Reuters
Talks could now run until Christmas - or beyond - Reuters
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Michel Barnier has signalled that Brexit talks will continue beyond the deadline set by European Parliamentarians, who have threatened to refuse to ratify a deal if it is not agreed by midnight tonight.

The EU's chief negotiator, who has been locked in discussions with his counterpart Lord Frost today, said: "In this crucial moment for the EU-UK negotiations, we continue to work hard... The EU remains committed to a fair, reciprocal & balanced agreement.

"We respect the sovereignty of the UK. And we expect the same."

He added: "Both the UK and EU must have the right to set their own laws & control their own waters. And we should both be able to act when our interests are at stake."

Matt Hancock also appeared to suggest that deadline had been discarded, telling Sky News: "Talks are continuing. The EU have put in a deadline of having them concluded by Christmas. We want a positive conclusion, but unfortunately the EU have put in some unreasonable demands."

He suggested demands on the level-playing field, specifically regarding subsidies, and fishing remained the core outstanding issues.

"I am sure a deal can be done but does need movement from the EU side," he added. "I am pragmatic, but I also think EU demands are unreasonable and cannot be accepted."

​Follow the latest updates below.


03:55 PM

And that's it for another day....

With Michel Barnier signalling that no Brexit deal will be reached this side of the midnight deadline, it is a good opportunity to take stock of today's news. 

It has mostly been dominated by the reaction to last night's news about Christmas being cancelled for nearly 17m people in London and the South East, with MPs including Sir Charles Walker suggesting the decision was taken after recess had started to avoid parliamentary scrutiny. 

It comes at a critical time for Boris Johnson, who will need the support of MPs to get a Brexit deal - should one be agreed - ratified.  But with the talks running past the deadline set by the European Parliament, it's not clear how MEPs will react either.

However, the majority of you believe the Prime Minister was right to impose this latest set of restrictions. More than 2,000 people responded to our daily poll, with 55 per cent backing the PM, while a further 22 per cent said he should have acted sooner.

Just 23 per cent said people should be allowed to see their loved ones regardless. 

We will be back from tomorrow morning for all the latest news from Westminster and beyond. 


03:22 PM

Michel Barnier: Negotiators will continue to work hard on Brexit talks

Michel Barnier has suggested that Brexit talks will be continuing beyond the deadline, noting that although it is a "crucial moment"  both sides will "continue to work hard".

The EU's chief negotiator added: "The EU remains committed to a fair, reciprocal & balanced agreement. We respect the sovereignty of the UK. And we expect the same."

 MEPs had set a deadline of midnight tonight, but that seems increasingly unlikely... 


03:19 PM

Christmas restrictions fuel Tory dissent as party erupts into civil war

The Government could face an uphill struggle to persuade Tory MPs to back a Brexit trade deal, if negotiators are able to agree one in the remaining time. 

With some members of the European Research Group and others already sceptical about an agreement reached under such time pressure, the Government has further inflamed dissent with its unilateral decision to impose new restrictions on vast swathes of the countries, cancelling Christmas for millions. 

One senior backbencher said the party had erupted into a civil war.

"Half of the parliamentary party is seriously angry - it is literally the Cavaliers vs the Roundheads, with Boris Johnson  having cross-dressed from King Charles to Cromwell," he said.

"The problem with this is it's always the Dance of the Seven Veils - you think we are free again, and then the clothes are back on. The Government needs to decide a course and stick to it."


02:59 PM

Ross Clark: The PM's reluctant Christmas climbdown is a disaster for his personal credibility

There was a grim predictability to the Prime Minister’s cancellation of Christmas for nearly a third of the population.

It is the same pattern we saw in the spring and in the early autumn. First, he resists his advisers. Then comes a crunch scientific briefing – and he crumbles.

Last Wednesday, Boris Johnson said it would be “inhuman” to cancel Christmas at such short notice. By Saturday, three days closer to the event, three days of shopping, cooking and booking tickets later, he cancels Christmas anyway.

By his own reckoning, points out Ross Clark, the Prime Minister has just committed an act that is even worse than “inhuman”.


02:44 PM

Labour calls on'absent' Rishi Sunak to 'come out of hiding'

Labour’s shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has called on Rishi Sunak to "come out of hiding" following the decision to shutter shops in the last few critical days before (and after) Christmas. 

In Tier 4 - which includes London and much of the South East - non-essential retail will be closed until December 30 at the very earliest, although Matt Hancock indicated it would be likely far longer. 

The Chancellor has not yet commented and hasn’t appeared in Parliament for nearly three weeks. 

Ms Dodds said: "This last-minute announcement will have plunged many businesses into chaos. Yet in these difficult times the Chancellor is nowhere to be seen.

“Rishi Sunak was happy to put his name all over government policy when it suited him, but now he’s totally absent. He must come out of hiding and give workers and businesses the certainty and support they deserve."


02:37 PM

Merkel, Macron, von der Leyen and Michel discuss UK travel ban

Some of the key names in the Brexit debate have held a phone call this afternoon - but it seems the focus of the conversation was the UK's new mutant strain of coronavirus. 

Angela Merkel, Emmanual Macron (who is currently self-isolating, having caught the virus earlier this week), Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel were on the call, according to AFP. 

It seems likely more travel bans will be imposed on the UK, following the ones from Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium. 


02:32 PM

Have your say: Do you back the decision to 'cancel Christmas'?

Boris Johnson has come under no small amount of criticism for 'cancelling Christmas' yesterday, with Sir Keir Starmer accusing him of "flippantly" disregarding concerns raised about the rise in cases earlier this week. 

But Matt Hancock has defended the Prime Minister, saying he has acted as fast as he could, suggesting no one could have foreseen the impact the new variant has had. 

So is he right to have imposed new restrictions so late in the day? Or is it just the latest in long line of mistakes? 

Have your say in the poll below. 


02:22 PM

Further 266 Covid deaths registered in English hospitals

A further 266 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 46,388.

Patients were aged between 42 and 101 years old. All except seven (aged 53 to 90 years old) had known underlying health conditions. The date of death ranges from 8 November to 19 December 2020 with the majority being on or after 17 December. 

The worst-affected region was the Midlands, with 75 deaths, followed by the East of England with 46, the North West with 44 and the North East & Yorkshire with 38. 

There were 30 deaths recorded in the South East, 23 in London and 10 in the South West. 


01:50 PM

Boris Johnson waited for recess before cancelling Christmas, claims Tory MP

A senior Conservative MP has accused Boris Johnson of delaying his announcement about cancelling Christmas for millions of people until after the Commons had started recess. 

Sir Charles Walker, the vice chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee, said: "I suspect the Government knew they were going to cancel Christmas on Wednesday and Thursday when they were still telling the House of Commons they planned to press ahead. 

"I think many colleagues find that extremely egregious. The Christmas period was passed into law by the House of Commons in a vote after a debate," he told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend. 

"The view of most colleagues was that to be changed, another vote would be required in the House of Commons. So I suspect a decision was delayed until we were safely away back to our constituencies." 

Broxbourne MP Sir Charles Walker  - PA

01:45 PM

Brexit talks could 'continue over Christmas', says EU official

Brexit talks "could well continue over Christmas", with the decision down to whether the UK "whether it is willing to pay the price for unprecedented access to the internal market", an EU official has said. 

"The EU has been clear this weekend that it is willing to compromise on fish. But it will bail at putting EU fishermen structurally out of business," he told AFP. 

"The narrow path to a deal has now become a single goat track, about to peter out."


01:42 PM

Italy joins growing European travel ban on UK

Italy has joined Belgium and the Netherlands in banning flights from the UK.

Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio tweeted: "As the Government we have the duty to protect Italians, for this reason, after having advised the English Government, with the health ministry we are signing the measure to suspend flights with Great Britain."

Germany and France are expected to make a decision later today. 


01:28 PM

Brexit deal: what has been agreed, and what happens next?

MEPs might be insisting their Sunday midnight deadline stands - but for most other stakeholders, the only real deadline is when the transition period ends on December 31.

But even that might not be the firmest line in the sand. 

The Government has repeatedly ruled out prolonging it further and legislated for a commitment not to agree to any extension.  However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that trade talks will come to a halt.

Negotiators are said to be exploring the idea of review clauses to break the deadlock in EU-UK trade talks, with the possibility that parts of the deal could be revisited several years after they take effect.

On the issue of fishing rights, Mr Barnier suggested on December 18 that if no deal is agreed before transition, that negotiations would continue after transition. "If it is not today, it will have to be later," he said. 

Read more here.


01:17 PM

European Parliament cannot scrutinise Brexit deal if it is not agreed by tonight, claims German MEP

The chairman of the European Parliament's trade committee had reminded Brexit negotiators they must agree a trade deal by tonight or risk the "obvious" consequences that Parliament will not have time to approve it. 

Bernd Lange, a German MEP and member of the Social Democratic Party, part of the Party of European Socialists, tweeted: 

The European Parliament had  set a deadline of midnight tonight for a Brexit deal to be agreed, or MEPs would refuse to ratify it. 

However this morning Matt Hancock indicated that he expected talks to continue until Christmas. 


01:03 PM

Simon Heffer: Beware Boris, the rage of people reaching the end of their tether could end in your tears

In different circumstances, a Prime Minister informing a third of the population of England that their Christmas is effectively cancelled due to more contagious variety of coronavirus might have passed as a sensible act of statesmanship.

It was certainly not, however, remotely statesmanlike for Boris Johnson to have argued only five days earlier that cancelling Christmas would be ‘inhuman’.  He knew then that the virus had mutated, and that the public health situation in hotspots in London and the South East was deteriorating.

As Simon Heffer writes, today it causes inconvenience, but tomorrow it may end up causing a Labour government. 


12:30 PM

Police Scotland to double presence on English border amid new Covid restrictions

Police Scotland will double its presence along the border with England after Nicola Sturgeon announced a travel ban yesterday.

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said "highly visible patrols" on roads will be used to "deter anyone who might be considering breaching the coronavirus travel restrictions".

He said: "Today, I have authorised the doubling of our operational presence in the Border areas of Scotland.

"These highly visible patrols will be proactively deployed on our road networks to continue our operational activity to ensure drivers and vehicles are in a fit condition to drive.

"The patrols will also deter anyone who night be considering breaching the coronavirus travel restrictions."

He added that "where officers encounter wilful, persistent or flagrant breaches we will act decisively to enforce the law".


12:25 PM

Have your say: Do you back the decision to 'cancel Christmas'?

Boris Johnson has come under no small amount of criticism for 'cancelling Christmas' yesterday, with Sir Keir Starmer accusing him of "flippantly" disregarding concerns raised about the rise in cases earlier this week. 

But Matt Hancock has defended the Prime Minister, saying he has acted as fast as he could, suggesting no one could have foreseen the impact the new variant has had. 

So is he right to have imposed new restrictions so late in the day? Or is it just the latest in long line of mistakes? 

Have your say in the poll below. 


12:20 PM

France considering travel ban to UK: local media

France is considering suspending flights and trains from Britain after Boris Johnson warned about the speed of infections caused by a new variant, BFM Television reported on Sunday.

An official decision is expected later today.

The Netherlands and Belgium have already imposed an initial ban on flights and the Eurostar. 


11:51 AM

Douglas Murray: Sympathy for Macron is a far cry from the ill will towards Trump

Late last week the news broke that President Emmanuel Macron of France had tested positive for Covid. The news led to other European leaders deciding to self-isolate, as among the events Macron had attended during the period before his diagnosis was an EU Summit.

Still, the news was received with great sympathy and provoked an outburst of good-feelings. Boris Johnson and other leaders sent get-well-soon messages. Everywhere there was support for Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron. The international press wrote understandingly about the President’s misfortune.

While never having been any special admirer of the outgoing American President, Donald J Trump Douglas Murray cannot help but make a comparison between reactions to the US and French President’s Covid diagnoses.

This is a tale of two Presidents indeed.


11:36 AM

Belgium joins Netherlands in British travel ban

The detection of the new Covid variant in southern England could exacerbate looming travel issues between the UK and the continent after Brexit.

Belgium is suspending flight and Eurostar arrivals from Britain from midnight, with Prime Minister Alexander De Croo telling local media the ban will be in place for at least 24 hours.

It follows a similar ban declared by the Netherlands, while Germany is said to be considering following suit.  

It is not clear whether other parts of the EU will adopt the same measure. 


11:25 AM

Boris Johnson should apologise for mis-handling pandemic, says Keir Starmer

The Prime Minister should apologise for "his handling of this episode of the pandemic", Sir Keir Starmer has said. 

The Labour leader told journalists Boris Johnson had made "not just one mistake, but the same mistake over and over again."

He added: "At the heart of the problem is a Prime Minister who simply doesn't want to be unpopular and therefore won't take the tough decisions until he is forced into them at the 11th hour.

"It is very important that the Prime Minister does apologise for his handling of this episode of the pandemic."


11:22 AM

Country is 'paying the price for Boris Johnson's incompetence', says Keir Starmer

The British people are having to pay the price for Boris Johnson's "incompetence", Sir Keir Starmer has said. 

The Labour leader, giving an impromtu press conference this morning following the cancellation of Christmas bubbles yesterday said no one expects the Government to "get it right all of the time", but noted that this Government was failing to "learn from its mistakes". 

He added: "We have a Prime Minister who is so scared of being unpopular that he is incapable of taking tough decisions until it is too late... It is this indecision and weak leadership that is costing lives and it is costing jobs."

Sir Keir blamed this for the UK's death toll - one of the highest in Europe - and "the deepest recession of any major economy". 


11:19 AM

Sir Keir Starmer attacks Boris Johnson's 'flippant' response to concerns about rate rise

Sir Keir Starmer has criticised Boris Johnson for "flippantly saying 'have a merry little Christmas'", instead of giving people earlier warning about restrictions imposed last night. 

The Labour leader said: "There is no getting away from the fact - and what angers people the most and frustrates me the most is that – yet again – the Prime Minister waited until the eleventh hour to take this decision.

"It was blatantly obvious last week that the Prime Minister’s plan for a free-for-all over Christmas was a risk too far. And yet, rather listening to concerns and taking them seriously the Prime Minister did what he always does - dismissed the challenge, ruffled his hair and made a flippant comment."

"The Prime Minister’s claim that this is all down to a new form of the virus that has only just emerged just doesn't stand up to scrutiny."

Keir Starmer criticised Boris Johnson for dismissing concerns earlier this week - Getty

11:12 AM

Labour 'minded' to back Brexit deal, says Lisa Nandy

Labour "would be minded" to support a Brexit deal but the Government needs to "get its act together", Lisa Nandy has said today.

"We don't trust that the Prime Minister will come back with a deal that's in the national interest, but we've always said that we think a deal is absolutely essential and no deal would be a disaster," she told Sky this morning. 

"What we hope is that the Government gets its act together in these last 11 days and make sure there is a deal - making sure people aren't waking up on January 1 in the middle of a global pandemic with all of the chaos a no-deal Brexit would bring.

Ms Nandy added that Brexit was now about "confronting the realities in front of us."

"The option of a second referendum is gone, we have left the European Union, we left in January," she said. "We have got to go forwards, we have got to stop the disunity and the division that has held the country back over recent years."


11:03 AM

Allow remote Parliament to sign off Brexit deal, says SNP's Ian Blackford

The Government must allow MPs to sit remotely "immediately" so that Parliament can sign off a Brexit deal without people having to travel into Tier 4, SNP's Westminster leader has said. 

"The House of Commons falls under the strictest of tiers and Boris Johnson is looking for people not to be in a position to spread the virus - his government must then act upon that and ensure that Parliament functions virtually," said Ian Blackford. 

He called on the PM do "do the responsible thing" before a deal is - or is not - secured. 


10:54 AM

No-deal Brexit odds - what are the chances of the UK leaving the EU without a trade deal?

The chances of the UK and EU securing a trade deal before the end of the year are falling, according to bookmakers, despite a year of rising optimism that talks would succeed.

However, a final agreement is looking increasingly likely after the European Parliament set a deadline of Sunday 20 December. 

A Brexit trade deal could be agreed this week if Britain compromises over fishing rights, the European Union's chief negotiator said on Monday. As talks continued in Brussels, Michel Barnier said the UK had moved towards the EU’s demands for level playing field guarantees in the trade agreement.

The current odds being offered on no deal being reached before December 31 are 1.25/1, according to Oddschecker - an implied probability of 44 per cent.


10:40 AM

What's the latest on Brexit talks?

Government sources are suggesting a decision on the Brexit trade talks is unlikely today. 

One said: “We need to get any deal right and based on terms which respect what the British people voted for. Unfortunately, the EU are still struggling to get the flexibility needed from Member States and are continuing to make demands that are incompatible with our independence.

"We cannot accept a deal that doesn’t leave us in control of our own laws or waters. We’re continuing to try every possible path to an agreement, but without a substantial shift from the Commission we will be leaving on WTO terms on December 31.”


10:36 AM

Britain and EU can agree 'mini' deals to ease chaos of no-deal, says Michael Gove

Britain and the European Union can agree on a series of “mini unilateral” deals to ease any chaos if no trade deal can be agreed by the end of this month, Michael Gove has said.

Any trade deal is also "realistically" unlikely to be signed off until after Christmas, Mr Gove said, which will mean MPs are likely to vote on any deal just hours before the end of the Brexit transition period.

Any teething problems at the border in the event of a trade deal not being agreed would "resolve themselves to a normal relatively early in the new year," he said.

Read the full article here. 


10:18 AM

Extra Network Rail staff to bolster police officers in blocking Christmas travel

It is not just police officers who are being deployed to prevent people making unnecessary journeys around Christmas.

Transport tsar Sir Peter Hendy has said: “The message is clear – to combat this virus, you must follow the guidance and stay at home.  

“At stations we will be deploying extra staff, announcements will make the law clear, and additional BTP officers are in place to ensure that only essential journeys take place.  

“People considering driving should also stay at home or stay local. The new restrictions mean that people should not travel into or out of Tier 4 areas, and across the country you should stay local. You should play your part in tackling the spread of this virus.” 


10:14 AM

More police officers being deployed to prevent people travelling at Christmas, says Grant Shapps

Additional police officers are being deployed on the transport network to ensure only people making "essential journeys" are travelling. 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said this morning:  “It is incredibly important that people follow the guidance, stay at home and do not attempt to travel. Our focus must be stopping the spread of this virus, protecting lives and our NHS. 

“If you are in Tier 4, the law means you must stay at home and you cannot stay overnight away from home. Across the rest of the country, you must stay local.  

“Follow the guidance and please do not come to a station unless you are permitted to travel. Extra BTP officers are being deployed to ensure only those who need to take essential journeys can travel safely.” 


10:11 AM

Government does not know how long 'effective lockdown' will last, says Matt Hancock

Matt Hancock has urged people to "come together" and "look after each other" until the new variant has been got under control. 

He said the Government did not "know how long" the "effective lockdown" would have to remain in place. 

"It may be sometime, until we get the vaccine going," he said, noting it was "not an easy thing to say". 

He added: "People are feeling cross, frustrated and in many cases angry. The reason we all have to come together to get through this is because collectively we all face a new enemy. The new variant makes it a more difficult task than it was before. 

"We must look after each other, support each other, and all come together, " he said, urging people to live "within the restrictions so we can get through this with as few fatalities as possible."


10:07 AM

Matt Hancock defends Boris Johnson for attacking Labour over 'cancelling Christmas'

Matt Hancock has defended Boris Johnson for accusing Sir Keir Starmer of wanting to "cancel Christmas" just days before he did so. 

The Health Secretary told The BBC's Andrew Marr: "Christmas is not cancelled, it will be different this year. We do not want to take these measures but we do when the evidence becomes clear."

Ministers were told about the situation at 3pm on Friday and the Prime Minister made his statement just over 24 hours later, he noted "one of the fastest decisions I've seen in Government". 

"It was a very difficult decision, taken extraordinarily quickly," he added, stressing the "unprecedented situation". 


10:00 AM

Government gave people 'false hope' over Christmas, claims Mayor of London

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has accused the Government of giving people "false hope" over Christmas.

Mr Khan said it was not about fairness, but "an issue of lack of clarity and consistency".

He told Sky's Ridge on Sunday: "Back in July, when the Prime Minister said we'd returned to normality by Christmas, many of us said 'that can't be right, that's not what the evidence is'. And that gave people false hope.

"And as recently as November, the Prime Minister announced the restrictions being lifted for these five days during Christmas, three households mixing, unlimited numbers, we thought that can't be right, the evidence doesn't say so, but expectations were raised."


09:59 AM

Police will stop people travelling over Christmas, says Matt Hancock

Matt Hancock has said police will enforce the new Covid law, including stopping people from travelling across the country. 

The Health Secretary told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: "Everybody has a responsibility. The best gift you could give is to stay at home and not transmit the virus.

"I have spoken to the Home Secretary, it is the British Transport Police's responsibility to police the transport system. I hope this will be done by consent, as it has been until now."

Asked again if he expected police to prevent people getting trains or driving, he said: "Of course, it is the police's responsibility to police the law, which came into force this morning."


09:55 AM

Coronavirus 'not under control', says Matt Hancock

Matt Hancock has admitted the new strain of coronavirus is not under control. 

Asked simply if the Government had it under control, he told BBC's Andrew Marr: "No it's not. The new variant is out of control and we need to bring it under control."

He urged people to "act like they might have the virus", adding "it is not for Governmentt or individuals, it is something for all of us to do."

He again blasted the "irresponsible" decision of many to flee London last night, but rejected suggestions that the messaging had not been clear. 


09:51 AM

Boris Johnson 'ridiculed' concerns about rising rates, claims Lisa Nandy

Lisa Nandy has said she was "angry" about the sudden change in coronavirus restrictions, after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had been "ridiculed" by Boris Johnson for asking about rising rates.

She told Sky's Ridge on Sunday: "Every day that concern has been dismissed, ridiculed by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on Wednesday, only to find yesterday that people have made plans over the last week that now lie in tatters with very little time to sort that out before Christmas.

"Over and over again we've seen the same pattern, a Prime Minister that rejects the evidence, who ridicules and mocks concerns, who dithers and delays and then ends up having to change his mind at the 11th hour.

"This is how a country that has pioneering scientists and a health care system that is the envy of the world ends up with the worst number of deaths in Europe and the worst recession of any major economy," the Wigan MP added. "It just cannot continue like this."

Lisa Nandy said she was angry at the late change to Christmas plans - Getty

09:41 AM

#RecallParliament: Tory MPs demand opportunity to scrutinise Christmas rules

Publicly, there are plenty of Conservative MPs calling for the Government to recall Parliament. 


09:27 AM

'Two days of misery': Former minister suggests MPs could be recalled for Brexit and Covid votes

Behind closed doors, Conservative backbenchers are now embroiled in the "mother of a row about whether Covid or Brexit is more important," one former minister tells me. 

Although Matt Hancock has said MPs will not vote on the new restrictions until January, this senior Tory said "pressure is building" for the Government to recall MPs this side of the new year.

That would create "two days of misery - one on Covid and one on Brexit," the backbencher adds.

"Some ardent Boris fans are really angry with him."


09:22 AM

Mark Francois: Boris Johnson would regret trying to bounce Parliament into a deal

Securing a Brexit deal will be a cause of relief for some - but for Boris Johnson, it could set the stage for one more battle this year. 

Writing in today's Telegraph, Mark Francois notes that "even if [Lord Frost] agrees a new Treaty that the European Research Group will live up to its name and go through it with a fine-tooth comb.

"If there is some unacceptable “poison pill” which truly undermines our sovereignty, buried deep within Article X of the voluminous text, then we will find it, to the displeasure not just of all our members but also no doubt all those new “Red Wall” Conservative backbenchers, who were elected on an unequivocal pledge to their constituents to “Get Brexit Done”.

"Similarly, any misguided attempt to bounce Parliament into voting for such a complex Treaty, before people have even had time to examine it properly, would go down like a lead balloon on the backbenches."

Read the full article here. 


09:16 AM

Tier 4 restrictions could remain until vaccines rolled out, says Matt Hancock

Matt Hancock has suggested the new Tier 4 restrictions unveiled last night could last for "the next couple of months" while a vaccine is rolled out.

The Health Secretary told Sky News: "We don't want to do any of this [but] it was our duty to act. The new strain was out of control. We had to get it under control."

He added: "It is going to be very difficult to keep [the new variant] under control until the vaccines are rolled out."

Mr Hancock also said it was "totally irresponsible behaviour" to travel after the new restrictions were announced, saying the rules were clear that those with packed bags should have unpacked them rather than flee Tier 4.


09:07 AM

Matt Hancock suggests Brexit talks will continue until Christmas

Matt Hancock has said the EU has made "unreasonable demands" as part of post-Brexit trade talks, that "do not respect the result of the referendum".

The Health Secretary told Sky News: "Talks are continuing. The EU have put in a deadline of having them concluded by Christmas. We want a positive conclusion, but unfortunately the EU have put in some unreasonable demands."

He suggested demands on the level-playing field, specifically regarding subsidies, and fishing remained the core outstanding issues. 

"I am sure a deal can be done but does need movement from the EU side," he added. "I am pragmatic, but I also think EU demands are unreasonable and cannot be accepted." 


08:58 AM

MPs will vote on Christmas measures - but only 'after the fact', says Matt Hancock

MPs have already been put on notice that they could be recalled for a Brexit vote - should one be required. 

But last night's announcement that the changes will be put into law has prompted several lockdown-sceptics to demand they be recalled to scrutinise these changes. 

However Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, told Sky News that MPs would vote on the measures retrospectively. 

"We didn't have time to recall Parliament from the point of decision... before implementing them in the early hours of this morning," he said. "There will be a vote after the fact when Parliament returns in January."


08:54 AM

Could cancelling Christmas affect Brexit vote approval?

Boris Johnson's decision yesterday to cancel Christmas for millions of people has come at a critical time for his relationship with MPs, if he is to get a Brexit deal passed before transition. 

Last night, there was plenty of disappointment about the decision to impose a new "stay at home" order on 17m people without seeking approval from Parliament. 

Steve Baker and Mark Harper, who lead the Covid Recovery Group, said in a joint statement: We cannot expect our citizens to tolerate living under a system of laws that changes so frequently, which avoids the usual democratic checks and balances and which is riddled with so much complexity and uncertainty.

"Any change to the laws on Christmas must be debated and approved by the House of Commons in advance, using a Recall if necessary.  Parliament must not be bypassed."

Sir Robert Syms went further, suggesting the Prime Minister could risk his position. 


08:43 AM

Brexit decision 'widely expected' before Christmas

The two chief negotiators – Lord Frost for the UK and Michel Barnier for the EU – were in talks again on Saturday, although there was no sign of a deal with fisheries the main sticking point. One source said: "It feels like we are than two turbots apart."

However, Government sources indicated on Saturday night that a decision is "widely expected" to be made before Christmas due to the European Commission's deadline.   

Michael Gove has said Britain and the EU can agree on a series of “mini unilateral” deals to ease any chaos if no trade deal can be agreed by the end of this month.

Any trade deal is also "realistically" unlikely to be signed off until after Christmas, Mr Gove said, which will mean MPs are likely to vote on any deal just hours before the end of the Brexit transition period.