EU diplomat: Chances of a successful outcome seem small at this stage

Beth Rigby, a political editor at Sky News, has tweeted a series of updates pertaining to an extraordinary meeting to be held tomorrow between the EU and GB with regards to the recent decision on GB part to override part of the Withdrawl Agreement:

Market implications

Geopolitics is front and centre again as the coronavirus risks ebb and flow in and out of front-page news.

Markets this week have reacted mostly to US-China tensions and Brexit uncertainty which has weighed on European markets.

The current hardliner, PM Boris Johnson, who has threatened to walk away from the talks if a deal isn't done by 15 October, has caused a great deal of uncertainty in markets, weighing on the pound.

The EU responded by saying it would "do everything in [its] power to reach an agreement" with the UK, but "will be ready" for a no-deal scenario.

The exchange follows No 10 revealing that it would be introducing new legislation on customs rules in Northern Ireland, in case the negotiations fail.

This too has led to concerns from Brussels that the UK would not deliver on the withdrawal agreement, made ahead of its exit from the bloc in January.