Brexit news: Trade talks resume, as Sturgeon says Scotland has ‘right to choose future’

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier wearing a protective face covering to combat the spread of the coronavirus

(Hollie Adams/AFP via Getty Images)

Face-to-face Brexit negotiations resumed in London after being derailed by coronavirus infection, with just days effectively left to secure a trade deal before the transition period ends on 31 December.

Negotiator David Frost suggested an agreement is “still possible” but insisted any deal must “fully respect” UK sovereignty, while his EU counterpart Michel Barnier warned “the same significant divergences remain” on fishing rights, governance and “level playing field” issues.

Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon challenged Tory opposition to IndyRef2, declaring that “Scottish people have the right to choose their future”. With a long succession of opinion polls showing majority support for a Yes vote, Ms Sturgeon told the SNP’s annual conference that Scotland is a “nation on the cusp of making history” with independence in “clear sight”.

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