Further comments made yesterday after EU talks in Brussels

  • 4 Dec "absolute deadline" to improve her Brexit divorce offer or face failure in persuading EU leaders to open trade talks

As Adam reported yesterday Tusk said it was still possible the other 27 EU leaders would conclude at a summit on Dec. 14-15 that Britain had made "sufficient progress" toward meeting three key conditions for them to approve the opening of trade talks in the new year but that remains a "huge challenge"

Adding to the comments an EU official said:

"Tusk presented the timeline ... with December 4 as the absolute deadline for the UK to make additional efforts, allowing Barnier to be in a position to recommend sufficient progress .May agreed to this time frame."

"The UK will need to give credible assurances as to how to avoid a hard border before December 4, as it is still unclear how this can be done."

The comments follow those by Juncker/May here yesterday.

The bluff and bluster continue.

In Ireland the plot thickens as elections remain on the agenda. Reuters has more here.

Meanwhile,