17 days to go

As negotiations continues for a last minute Brexot deal, the clock is ticking towards October 31st.

On Thursday EU28 leaders meet for the last Council before the United Kingdom is scheduled to leave the European Union.

Is there time for a deal? Yes, there is still time but it is getting close.

Sky News writes that Sunday saw the first official indications of how the intensified talks between UK and EU negotiators have progressed over the weekend.

Boris Johnson briefed his cabinet in a conference call, while the EU’s chief negotiator Michele Barnier spoke to European ambassadors.

Both sides appear to have given very similar accounts of where things are – in short, that while talks have not yet broken down, there is yet to be a breakthrough.

The prime minister said there was a “pathway” to a deal ahead of the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on Thursday, but that there was still a “significant amount of work to do”.

A statement from the EU Commission echoed that appraisal, saying “A lot of work remains to be done.”

While Mr Johnson’s briefing to his ministers has not, so far, resulted in leaks about the details of the negotiations, EU diplomatic sources have suggested the dispute over customs arrangements in Northern Ireland remains the major hurdle.

As MPs return to Westminster for the Queen’s Speech, they will be watching developments in Brussels closely as they prepare for what could be a tumultuous and highly unpredictable week.

Source: Sky News