Brexit talks enter key week with time and trust running out

Failure to strike a deal could potentially poison relations with the bloc for a generation

The two main obstacles to an agreement remain deciding which of the EU’s state aid rules the UK will have to follow after leaving, and what access fishing boats from the bloc will have to British waters. Picture: Jason Alden/Bloomberg

The UK and European Union are starting a key week of Brexit talks, with the bloc stiffening its demands over how any trade deal will be enforced after losing trust in Boris Johnson because of his attempt to rewrite last year’s divorce agreement.

The final round of scheduled discussions between the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his British counterpart, David Frost, begins in Brussels tomorrow with officials on both sides expressing cautious optimism a deal can be reached.