Barnier says 'no concessions' will be made in phase one of talks

Says EU 'very disturbed' by UK refusal to pay bill

David Davis urges EU27 to move talks onto trade

Barnier hints he is prepared to loosen EU mandate

Sketch: Careful, you don't want to make David Davis angry

Aarti Shankar: Barnier wants to make progress, but EU must let him

Michel Barnier today warned the European Union was prepared for Brexit negotiations to end in no deal and said he would not ask EU leaders to begin trade talks with Britain at a Brussels summit next week.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said that talks were deadlocked after five rounds of pressured negotiations with huge divisions between the two camps remaining, especially over the so-called Brexit bill, and despite British concessions.

Mr Barnier described the impasse as “disturbing” and insisted that there was “no question” the EU would make concessions on the three issues of the financial settlement, Ireland and citizens’ rights.

With time running out to strike a deal before the two-year Brexit negotiation period expires, the prospect of no deal is looming. British Prime Minister Theresa May revealed this week that the UK was already making contingency plans in case an agreement is not finalised before 29 March 2019.

“No deal would be a very bad deal. To be clear on our side we will be ready to face any eventualities and all the eventualities,” Mr Barnier said at a press conference at the European Commission’s headquarters.