LONDON, Dec 9 — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson heads to Brussels today for dinner with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a tumultuous Brexit without a trade deal in three weeks’ time. With growing fears of a chaotic no-deal finale to the...
Wednesday, 09 Dec 2020 05:05 PM MYT
With growing fears of a chaotic no-deal finale to the five-year Brexit crisis when the United Kingdom finally leaves the EU’s orbit on December 31, the dinner is being cast as a chance to unlock the stalled trade talks. While Gove refused to give odds on a deal, he said that often a one-on-one meeting between leaders could result in a breakthrough.
The British pound was flat against the dollar at around 1.3369, after three straight days of losses. It stands around 1 per cent off 2-1/2-year highs hit at the end of last week. Overnight implied volatility — a measure of expected price swings — rose to a new 8-1/2 month high of close to 25 per cent.EU chief negotiator Barnier said yesterday he believed a ‘no-deal’ split in ties with Britain at the end of the year was now more likely than agreement on a trade pact, sources in the bloc said.