Brexit deal agreed - next step EU summit

Jean-Claude Juncker has now written to European Council President Donald Tusk recommending that the deal be accepted at the summit taking place today and tomorrow.

In a tweet he refers to it as “fair and balanced”.

Mr Juncker says in his letter that the latest negotiations have resulted in changes to the planned arrangements for Northern Ireland in the Withdrawal Agreement, as well as changes to the Political Declaration on the future relationship.

The latter has been modified so as to “reflect the different level of ambition now sought by the government of the UK for the country’s future relationship with the EU”, he said in his letter.

The new deal has been endorsed by the Commission and the UK government and will now have to be approved by the EU leaders at the summit before a vote by the British MPs on Saturday.

If a deal is ratified the UK will leave the EU at the end of this month but nothing will change in practical terms for Britons in France until the end of 2020 at the earliest.

Mr Johnson has referred to it as “a great new deal that takes back control”.

We will be publishing further information in the Brexit section of our site as matters develop, and more analysis in November’s edition of the paper at the end of October.