Britain could conclude a withdrawal agreement with the EU within the next three weeks, Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary, has told parliament, even as diplomats in Brussels played down the prospects of a rapid breakthrough.
Sterling rose sharply yesterday after Mr Raab’s comments that a deal with the EU could be finalised by November 21, underlining the risk of a significant mismatch in expectations as negotiators enter a crucial stretch of talks.
EU negotiators are open to accelerating talks and calling a special Brexit summit for the bloc’s leaders later this month.
But limited progress in the Brexit talks in recent days has led diplomats to almost write off the prospects of a summit. One figure on the EU side said he was “flabbergasted” at expectations of an imminent breakthrough.
Britain, by contrast, has been keeping up pressure to show progress. “The end is now firmly in sight and, while obstacles remain, it cannot be beyond us to navigate them,” Mr Raab said in a letter to MPs.
UK ministers are quietly optimistic a breakthrough in the Brexit negotiations on the vexed issue of the Irish border could be near, giving Mrs May the chance to push a Brexit agreement through parliament before Christmas.
Ministers say they are hopeful of concluding the deal at a special meeting of EU leaders in mid-November — possibly over the weekend of November 17-18 — which would fit in with the timetable envisaged by Mr Raab.
However, ambassadors on the EU side have been told by negotiators that more time is likely to be needed to resolve the impasse in the talks over the Irish border. One senior EU diplomat said a November summit “is very unlikely” unless Britain yielded on most of the outstanding issues.
Mr Raab said in his letter to MPs on the Commons Brexit select committee that he would be willing to give evidence to them once a withdrawal agreement was finalised. He added he currently expected “November 21 to be suitable”.
