No point in 11th-hour Brexit free trade deal, UK minister says

There is no point having an 11th-hour Brexit free trade deal, so the format and pace of negotiations with the European Union need to change, a junior minister said on Tuesday.

"There is no point in us arriving at an agreement at the 11th hour: we have to arrive at an agreement to enable it to be implemented, ratified but also for our citizens and businesses to prepare," Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt told parliament.

"That is what is dictating the timetable here and that is why we must have a renewed focus. We're talking to the EU about having a change of format, about how we can increase the pace of negotiations, get the focus where we need it to be, and get a deal done for both of our sakes."