Brexit: Navy boats on standby to patrol UK waters in event of no-deal
ITV News Political Correspondent Libby Wiener has the latest
Four Royal Navy boats are on standby to patrol UK fishing waters in the event of a no-deal Brexit - a sign of preparations for an agreement not being reached by Sunday's deadline.
The 80-metre vessels would guard British waters from EU trawlers in the event that there is no new agreement on fishing rights after December 31 - when transitional arrangements end.
Fisheries remains one of the major a sticking point in negotiations.
The confirmation of the move by the Ministry of Defence comes as Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned on both sides of the Channel that a no-deal outcome looked more likely than an agreement in the trade negotiations.
Brexit trade talks - the sticking points at a glance:
- Fishing rights: The UK wants total control over its own fishing waters after the Brexit transition period ends, with a 12 mile exclusion zone around the British Isles banning all foreign vessels. The EU wants the UK to stick to the Common Fisheries Policy, an EU agreement which gives member nations the rights to fish in European waters - more here.
- Level Playing Field: This is a concept all EU nations agree to, which ensures member nations cannot undercut others by setting their own rules on issues such as the environment, taxation and state aid. The EU says a zero-tariff trade deal is dependent on the UK agreeing to a level playing field. The UK disagrees, saying a fundamental aspect of Brexit is that the UK will be able to set its own rules.
- Governance of a deal: It's likely that any trade deal will eventually result in disputes. The EU wants the European Court of Justice to be the final authority in ruling over disputes. The UK says the ECJ should have no role and final decisions should be made by a bespoke arbiter.
But the statements from both sides suggested that while further discussions would be held, substantial movement on the key issues had not been made.
On Friday afternoon Mr Johnson met with senior minister Michael Gove, whose has responsibility for Brexit planning, and other officials to “take stock” of government plans for a no-deal exit.
Mr Johnson warned that a no-deal outcome from negotiations with the EU is now "very, very likely", and that the UK will leave the bloc on World Trade Organisation terms.
The PM said he remains "hopeful", with his negotiators "continuing" trade talks in Brussels, but said he's yet to see any substantial change in the EU's negotiating position.
He told reporters: "From where I stand now, here in Blyth, it is looking very, very likely that we will have to go for a solution that I think would be wonderful for the UK, and we'd be able to do exactly what we want from January 1.
"It obviously would be different from what we'd set out to achieve but I have no doubt this country can get ready and, as I say, come out on World Trade terms."
Fishing has been one of the most contentious issues in the negotiations with the bloc, with France reportedly discontent with the UK’s proposals for reducing quotas for EU skippers.
A spokesman for the MoD said: “The MoD has conducted extensive planning and preparation to ensure that defence is ready for a range of scenarios at the end of the transition period.
“This preparation includes a standby package of 14,000 personnel to ensure that we are ready to support other Government departments and authorities over the winter period, including with the EU transition, Covid-19 and potential severe weather events.”
According to the Times, the government is planning to beef-up patrol powers by bringing in legislation to allow the Navy to board foreign vessels and arrest fishermen amid fears of clashes in the English Channel if there is no deal.
The Guardian reported that the four Royal Navy boats readied for fishing surveillance are river patrol vessels which are armed with machine guns – although the newspaper said there was no expectation shots would need to be fired.