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Summary

  • UK cabinet ministers are to hold a conference call to discuss a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU

  • UK and EU negotiating teams are still in talks to finalise an agreement on fishing rights.

  • UK PM Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also held talks earlier

  • Three "critical issues" needed to be resolved - fishing rights, government support for industry and how a deal is enforced

  • If they agree to a deal they have just over a week to get the deal formally approved in London and Brussels

  • The UK left the EU on 31 January, but remains under its trading rules until the end of the year

  • If a deal is not signed off by then, tariffs - or taxes on goods - could come into force

  1. The evening's developments so farpublished at 23:41 Greenwich Mean Time 23 December 2020

    Number 10 tonightImage source, PA Media

    After months of talks, UK cabinet ministers are understood to be gathering on a conference call to discuss a Brexit deal with the EU.

    Our political editor Laura Kuenssberg says that 鈥渨ouldn鈥檛 happen in No 10 wasn鈥檛 by now very confident that a deal is shortly to be finalised鈥.

    At the same time in Brussels, the UK and EU negotiating teams are still locked in discussions.

    It鈥檚 understood they are talking about specific details for future fishing rights 鈥 on catches of specific species of fish.

    Earlier, EU sources said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had also been in contact in an attempt to break the deadlock.

  2. Good eveningpublished at 23:35 Greenwich Mean Time 23 December 2020

    Hello and thanks for joining us.

    In the next few hours, UK and EU leaders will reach a deal that will govern their future relations after Brexit.

    We鈥檙e here to take you through tonight鈥檚 developments, and will bring you all the reaction as it happens.

    And with analysis from our correspondents and the 大象传媒 Reality Check team, we hope to guide you through what it all means.

    Do stay with us.