Downing Street commissions leading law firm to draw up possible EU free trade deal A failure to break a deal could lead to WTO terms

Downing Street has commissioned a leading international law firm to draw up proposals for a free trade deal with the EU based on existing deals with Canada, South Korea and Switzerland.

Linklaters has been asked to identify the most attractive aspects of the free-trade arrangements already brokered between Brussels and third countries as a potential final deal with the UK, according to reports.

Pro-Brexit MPs have pointed to deals struck between Canada and the EU as well as the more recent arrangement with Japan as examples of how the UK could trade with the bloc in the future.

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But such plans, which would lead to a hard border being created on the island of Ireland, a move that has been ruled out by both Downing Street and the EU.

A failure to secure a free trade deal would see the UK crash out of the EU and revert to World Trade Organisation trading rules.

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