EU’s Barnier urges UK to accept EU court deal for Brexit

Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned Britain on Saturday that failing to agree a deal on the governance of a withdrawal treaty which preserves the primacy of the EU court would mean no treaty and no transition period.

In remarks prepared for delivery in Portugal, Barnier also described British delays in spelling out what kind of trade relationship London wants as “a game of hide and seek”.

And he chided British criticism of EU positions as a “blame game”, urging London to recognise that it could not retain many elements of EU membership after Brexit.