Britain is expected to signal compromise on fisheries and “level playing field” trade rules if the European Union backs off from its “maximalist” demands on regulatory alignment and fishing access, according to senior Brussels sources.
Michel Barnier, the chief negotiator for the EU, has told European ambassadors that he believes the UK government wants progress over the next few weeks. David Frost, the prime minister’s negotiator, is keen to counter the perception that negotiations are deadlocked and that a free trade deal with the EU cannot be done this year.
“There is only one way to get things moving and that is for the UK side to move and then, as Frost knows full well, the EU will move too,” a senior diplomatic
