Michael Gove today admitted that some food prices could rise after No Deal Brexit - but denied there would be shortages of fresh goods.

As Brexit tension escalate with a titanic showdown in Parliament this week, the Cabinet minister said costs of some foods might go up, but stressed that others 'will go down'.

Pressed on the risk of shortages, Mr Gove said: 'Everyone will have the food they need... No, there will be no shortages of fresh food.'

However, a spokesman for the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said it was 'categorically untrue' to say supplies of fresh food would not be affected.

Mr Gove, who is in charge of No Deal planning, tried to calm concerns as the deadline of October 31 looms and negotiations with the EU still look deadlocked.

The bloc's chief negotiator Michel Barnier took a hard line today insisting the the Irish backstop would not be dropped.

He said the EU had already shown 'maximum flexibility' and he was 'not optimistic' about the chances of avoiding No Deal.

He also claimed there would be no 'mini-deals' to ease the impact of the UK crashing out.

On the BBC's Andrew Marr Show today, Michael Gove admitted that some food prices could rise after No Deal Brexit - but denied there would be shortages of fresh goods

Michel Barnier (pictured centre in Brussels last month) has saidhe is not optimistic about the chances of a Brexit deal

But Mr Gove played down Mr Barnier's influence, saying the EU commission 'ultimately does as the member states decree'.

He argued that there was 'light at the end of the tunnel' and grounds for optimism about a compromise.

The spat follows signs that EU leaders might be wavering in the face of Boris Johnson's demands for the Withdrawal Agreement to be rewritten.

French President Emmanuel Macron had suggested he was open to tweaking the package sealed with Theresa May.

Mr Johnson has solemnly vowed to take the UK out of the bloc on October 31 with or without a deal.

A leaked version of the government's Operation Yellowhammer assessment of No Deal last week painted a dire picture of the impact.

Asked today if food prices would increase, Mr Gove said: 'I think that there are a number of economic factors in play.

'Some prices may go up. Other prices will come down.'

In an angry response, a spokesman for the BRC said: 'It is categorically untrue that the supply of fresh food will be unaffected under a no-deal Brexit.

'The retail industry has been crystal clear in its communications with Government over the past 36 months that the availability of fresh foods will be impacted as a result of checks and delays at the border.

'Indeed, the Government's own assessments showed that the flow of goods through the channel crossings could be reduced by 40-60% from day 1, as would the 'availability and choice' of some foods.'

They continued: 'The reality remains that a no-deal Brexit in October would present the worst of all worlds for our high streets and those who shop there.

'Retailers will be preparing for Christmas, stretching already limited warehousing capacity, and the UK will be importing the majority of its fresh food from the EU, magnifying the impact of border delays.'

The BRC's estimates that soft fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, tomatoes and lettuces, would likely see reduced availability as they are largely imported during the winter months.

Boris Johnson (pictured in No10 last week) is bracing for a titanic battle in Parliament this week with Remainers trying to thwart his Brexit plans

Boris Johnson today warned Tory rebels that derailing his Brexit plans risks condemning the country to 'chaos' with Jeremy Corbyn in power.

The PM said Remainers had a 'fundamental choice' between his ambitious agenda, including pumping billions of pounds into public services, or the hard-left Labour leader.

The stark ultimatum came ahead of showdown talks tomorrow between Mr Johnson and high-profile Conservative opponents of No Deal, including former Cabinet minister David Gauke.

Mr Gauke said this morning that he would be demanding to know how Mr Johnson proposed to get concessions from the EU, and whether there was even time left to ratify a deal if he gets one.

The meeting will kick off a frenzied week in Parliament that could decide the fate of the UK.

MPs are set to try to seize control of the Commons agenda to pass a law stopping the country from crashing out of the EU, with the votes looking nailbitingly close.

But Mr Gove today refused to say whether the government would obey legislaton ruling out No Deal.

Asked if the PM would fall into line with such a law, Mr Gove told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'Let's see what the legislation says.'