Sterling and Irish shares slide ahead of Sunday Brexit talks    

Brexit uncertainty saw the pound go on a rollercoaster ride, and sent stock markets in Ireland and Britain sharply lower.

Flags of United Kingdom and Ireland with a EU flag in the middle. Picture: iStock

One of the country's leading experts on trade tariffs and Brexit said he is pessimistic that the EU and the UK will strike an agreement for a trade deal in Sunday's talks. 

Co-founder of trade consultancy The Linkage Partnership and former head of the Irish Exporters' Association, John Whelan, said his downbeat assessment is based on the difficulties of the sides reaching a compromise on the so-called governance issues over the court or body that will rule over trade disputes arising over tariffs and standards between the EU and the UK into the future.