European Union will push the Brexit deal to the final hours warns Tory commentator

Brexit negotiations between the European Union and the UK will not come to any meaningful conclusion until the “final hours” of the EU deadline, warned a Tory commentator on BBC’s Dateline.

Alex Deane, a conservative commentator said: “I think it is extremely difficult to sell politically a transition period that goes over a quarter of the next election.

“I think if you can wrap up a transition period within the life of this Parliament it is far easier politically to sell that than not.

“But, we all know that whether the deadline is March or October - and I agree it could be either – but realistically October you have got to use the European Parliamentary schedule.

“Whenever the real deadline is, that is when the deal gets done.

“All the EU deals are done on the 11th hour. The 59th minute of the 11th hour.

“For Brexit watchers I have got bad news. This is still posturing all round. The real negotiations will happen in the final hours.

Prime Minister, Theresa May clashed with her cabinet over what type of future customs relationship the UK should have with the European Union after Brexit.

Referring to discussions within Mrs May's government on whether to drop an insistence on having no customs union, The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said: "If the United Kingdom would like to change its own red lines, it must tell us. The sooner the better.

"We are asking for clarity. A negotiation cannot be a game of hide and seek."

Mr Deane added: “Right now the Spanish economy is tanking, the market just dumped Spanish bonds yesterday. The Italians have got a populist government forming that the Europeans don’t like.

“So what do they do? Like the teenager that does badly in his exams - he’s like ’bloody Brits!’ and then goes home and kicks the can.”