BRITAIN has signalled that it might be prepared to pull the plug on the UK-EU trade talks if Brussels fails to make a “political movement” and give way on the totemic issue of fishing rights.

Last week, following five days of video-conference talks, involving 100 officials, an exasperated Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, accused Britain of trying to run down the clock on the talks; London is maintaining its line that the transition period up to December 31 cannot be changed.

Mr Barnier argued it was unacceptable for the UK Government to “impose this short, brief timeline, and at the same time not budge or make progress on some topics that are of importance to the EU”.

He declared: “The UK cannot refuse to extend the transition and at the same time slow down discussions on important areas.”

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The EU chief negotiator said an extension to the transition period had to be a common decision before the June 30 deadline for each side to take stock on the progress that has or has not been made.

One particular reference, which appears to have angered Downing St, was when Mr Barnier suggested the “reality” was that the two negotiating sides were of a different scale.

He said: “The UK negotiators keep repeating that we are negotiating as sovereign equals; that’s fine. But the reality of the negotiations is to find the best possible relationship between a market of 66 million consumers on the one side of the channel and the market of 450m consumers on the other side. That is the reality.”

But Boris Johnson’s spokesman insisted this morning: “No one should be in any doubt the transition period is going to end on December 31” and that the “reality” was Britain would then become a sovereign state in control of its fishing waters.

He emphatically denied the EU chief negotiator’s claim that Britain was trying to run down the clock.

“We set out on Friday we are ready to keep talking but that doesn’t make it any more likely[we will] agree with the EU’s proposals in areas where they are not taking into account the UK’s status as an independent state.

“All we are seeking is an agreement based on precedent, which respects the sovereignty of both sides. Clearly, there will need to be political movement on the EU’s side to move negotiations forward, particularly on fisheries and level playing field issues to help find a balanced solution that reflects the political realities on both sides.”

When it was suggested that David Frost, the UK’s chief negotiator, believed the three-week cycle of talks was not working and greater input was needed, the spokesman said: “It speaks for itself in terms of what we are seeking is political movement, particularly in relation to those two issues of fisheries and the level playing field.

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“What we want is an agreement which is based on precedent. What the EU is seeking to do is to impose conditions on us, which is not required in other free trade agreements, which it has agreed with sovereign countries around the world.”

He insisted the UK would not put anything on the table “just for the sake of it,” stressing: “We need the EU to understand our position, which is: we will be a sovereign state and have control of its own fishing waters.”

Asked if the Prime Minister would get personally involved to try to kick-start the talks process, the spokesman said: “So, our view is there needs to be a political injection on the EU side.”

Asked if the UK would agree to reciprocal fishing rights in both sides’ waters as part of any deal, the spokesman said: “So, the issue is the EU’s mandate appears to require us to accept the current quota agreement under the Common Fisheries Policy continuing. We will only be able to make progress here on the basis of the reality that the UK will have the right to control access to its waters at the end of this year.”

He referred to how the EU did allow reciprocal arrangements with other countries, such as Iceland, but this was on the basis of an annual agreement and “on an understanding of the fact in this scenario the UK would have control of fishing in its waters”.

When it was mentioned that Mr Barnier had made clear the EU would not agree to a deal unless there were an agreement on fishing rights, the spokesman was asked if Britain would be prepared to walk away from the talks over the issue and replied: “Look, as I have said, what we are seeking from the EU is the sort of agreement, which it has reached with other member states.

“We are quite clear we are leaving the transition period on December 31. We will work with the EU and try to do that with a deal. No one should be in any doubt the transition period is going to end on December 31.”

Meanwhile, Michael Gove insisted the coronavirus crisis should "concentrate the minds" of EU negotiators to strike a trade deal.

Giving evidence to the Commons Brexit Committee in a virtual session, the Cabinet Office Minister said: "Limited progress was made in the talks but we believe it's still entirely possible to conclude negotiations on the timetable that has been outlined.

"The Covid crisis in some respects should concentrate the minds of EU negotiators in enforcing the vital importance of coming to a conclusion."

Mr Gove cautioned the committee that he was "not very good at predictions" but claimed the odds of reaching a deal "were definitely better than two to one".

The grilling, which was briefly interrupted by a cat's miaow and a dog barking in the latest oddities of Parliament under lockdown, also saw the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster agree to publish the UK's draft legal text in a "matter of weeks".

He said 47 civil servants had been diverted away from Brexit transition planning to work on the Covid-19 crisis with the end of June deadline for agreeing an extension to the transition period looming.

UK-EU tensions over the talks have been brewing for some time.

Last month, Amélie de Montchalin, France’s European Affairs Minister, when asked if the talks could collapse over disagreement on fishing rights, replied: “Yes, we said there are four topics which are linked in negotiations.”

She added: “We know how to make it a very nasty battle. Both sides. A very nasty battle, where politicians in the UK and politicians in France are put in a situation where things get very difficult. And in the end we will both lose."

Her comments followed those of Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Foreign Minister, who said both sides would “rip each other apart” in the negotiations.

France, in particular, appears worried about the prospect of its fishermen losing some access to UK fishing waters. Industry figures estimate that in the four years up to 2016 France caught 120,000 tonnes of fish worth more than £170m.

Emmanuel Macron has pledged to "fight" for his country's fishermen during the trade talks.

The French President said: “I want to tell our fishermen that I will fight for them. If we do not get the same access as today, we will seek compensation. I will not let our fishermen pay for a British vote they could do nothing about."