Pound rises against euro after EU greenlights further Brexit talk preparations

The pound surged against the euro today amid jitters over Catalonia's independence and news that EU member states will start preparing for the second phase of Brexit talks.

Sterling was up nearly 0.9% versus the eurozone currency at 1.120 on Friday afternoon - a major move compared to the pound's mere 0.2% rise against the US dollar to 1.317.