Brexit news: Theresa May says longer transition period could be 'solution' to Irish border row amid Tory backlash
All the updates from Brussels and Westminster
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK
Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight
Theresa May has faced fury from Tory MPs after she opened the door to extending the Brexit transition period by a year, keeping Britain tied to the EU up to the end of 2021.
Former minister Nick Boles, who voted Remain, said the plan was a "desperate last move" and the prime minister was losing the confidence of colleagues from all sides.
The backlash came as Ms May and European leaders gave press conferences, after a key EU summit broke up without a Brexit deal.
If you want to follow the events as they happened, see our live coverage below
Comedian Steve Coogan has called on members of the public to join the mass march through London on Saturday demanding a People’s Vote referendum on the outcome of Brexit.
Writing exclusively for The Independent, the actor described the Brexit deal being delivered by the government as a “looming disaster for our country” and said the public had to be given a final say on whether to accept it or not.
Mr Coogan spoke out as thousands of people prepared for the march at the weekend, organised jointly by The Independent as part of its Final Say campaign and by the People’s Vote campaign, which will see high profile MPs and the mayor of London address crowds in Trafalgar Square.
More here:
Brexit is making it difficult for firms to decide whether to import or export, hampering British trade, according to a new survey.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) indicated that half of businesses have to consider uncertainty over Brexit when deciding whether to trade internationally.
Story here:
Conservative MP's election to Parliament could have been declared void after he overspent during his campaign to beat Nigel Farage, a court has heard.
Craig Mackinlay, who represents the constituency of South Thanet in Kent, is accused of deliberately submitting "woefully inaccurate" expenditure returns, along with his election agent Nathan Gray and party activist Marion Little.
More here:
The UK’s secretary of state for international trade has pulled out of a conference in Saudi Arabia amid concern over the disappearance of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
British officials said Liam Fox had decided it was not “the right time” and urged Saudi leaders to conduct a “credible” investigation into Mr Khashoggi’s apparent death.
More here:
From earlier on, Penny Mordaunt got herself into a tangle over Theresa May's comments on the transition period.
The European Council summit is now over, according to Donald Tusk's spokesman Preben Aamann.
Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker are due to give a press conference shortly.
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, is giving a press conference. She says there will only be another meeting of EU leaders on Brexit when there is "sufficient progress" made.
She said she left last night's dinner "neither more pessimistic nor more optimistic" on the negotiations.
Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk are starting their press conference.
Donald Tusk, the European Council president, says EU leaders want to continue talks in a 'positive spirit' and they have full confidence in Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator.
He says: 'I stand ready to convene a European Council on Brexit, when enough progress has been made. We should be clear that for now, not enough progress has been made.'
He says extending the transition period was 'not discussed' among EU27 leaders but they are ready to consider it.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies