Politics

She recently declared: “Our hard-earned taxpayers’ money should be spent wisely. Our voters expect this.”

For many marketwatchers the de facto outcome, given the deep-running tensions between the two sides, will still be no-deal.

"Trade agreements are not made to assert one's independence, they are made to manage our interdependence."

Dominic Raab said: "The EU is concerned that Britain might do rather well after we leave the EU."

The Telegraph reported that last week that Mr Johnson was blocked three times from speaking directly with the German and French leaders as the EU sought to keep a united front over the Brexit talks.

"It is an outrage for Boris Johnson to leave British business in the lurch, with only a handful of days to plan for new trading arrangements."

“The most likely thing now is, of course, that we have to get ready for WTO terms, Australia terms,” the Prime Minister said.

“Boris Johnson’s decision to end the Brexit transition period in the middle of a pandemic and deep recession is an unforgivable act of economic sabotage."

The agreement to carry on talking came despite pessimistic briefings from both sides of the negotiations in the run-up to the deadline set for Sunday on the future of the process.