DOMINIC Raab has promised “no stone will be left unturned” in the search for a Brexit deal as the talks hit D Day.
Boris Johnson has threatened to pull the plug on the crunch negotiations tonight if Brussels refuses to drop their threats to punish Brexit Britain.
As talks teeter on the brink of collapse, Mr Raab insisted an agreement is still “doable”.
But he said Brussels still has a long way to move and must drop its threats to “torpedo” Britain with punishing tariffs.
Mr Johnson is holding a make or break call with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen at lunchtime today to decide if Britain will crash out with No Trade deal or carry on talking.
The Foreign Secretary told Sky News that Brussels is worried “the UK might do rather well – that we could thrive” out of the bloc.
He urged political leaders in the EU to step up, compromise and get a deal over the line.
Mr Raab said: “But what ultimately is required at this eleventh hour of the negotiation is moving the political logjam.
“That can only happen at the level of the Prime Minister and Commissioner von der Leyen.”
Mr Raab said he cannot “close the door” to talks going beyond tonight’s crunch deadline.
But he added: “I think there is a way that the EU’s got to go to give us the reassurance on those two points.
“Of course if we’re 99 per cent there on the outstanding issues, you wouldn’t want to leave any stone unturned but I think it’s quite a high bar.”
Talks have hit the buffers over two key issues – fish and EU attempts to force the UK to stick to its rules after Brexit.
Eurocrats have threatened to clobber Britain with punishing tariffs if the country breaks with EU red tape.
While pint-sized French President Emmanuel Macron is insisting French fisherman can still plunder Britain’s fish for years to come.
Mr Raab warned the French they will get no fish unless they compromise and help get a deal over the line at the eleventh hour.
He said: “The bottom line is actually if we do leave on WTO terms we’ll be an independent coastal state. Of course we’re going to enforce our waters around fisheries and whatever else.
“And of course for the French and others, that will mean – you know, forget those outlandish terms that they were asking of us – their fishing industries would have zero access guaranteed.”
Both sides have just two weeks to get a deal agreed and inked to avoid Britain crashing out on New Year’s Eve.
Spain’s foreign minister admitted a No Trade Deal Brexit would be catastrophic for Europe’s economy.
Arancha Gonzalez said it should be avoided “at all costs”.
She told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “No-deal in the current circumstances would be extremely negative for our economies.
“And if you go by what economists are saying, and there is plenty of literature on that, the UK would suffer even more than the European Union.
“We both will suffer, more on the UK side, which I think is something we should try to avoid at all costs.”
Irish PM Micheál Martin said a NO Deal would be an “appalling failure of statecraft”.
It comes as ministers told supermarkets to begin stockpiling food and other goods as the chances of a No Deal Brexit shot up to 80 per cent.
The government fears Brits will start panic buying if the UK crashes out without a deal.
Retailers have also warned food prices could be hiked in the event of a No Deal.
A source told HOARday Times: “Supermarkets and ministers are hugely worried about panic buying.
“They saw what happened over Covid when people started hoarding toilet rolls and know how quickly it can go wrong.
“That will be nothing compared to what will happen. Meat supplies will be fine and fruit comes from South America but there are likely to be shortages of vegetables for three months.”
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.hellofaread.com/politics/labours-chris-bryant-wants-to-apologise-to-mps-after-swearing-at-speaker/
