Government could start preparing for No Deal Brexit within 48 hours as EU talks stall

Boris Johnson could start preparing the UK for a No-Deal Brexit as soon as Wednesday if talks with the EU remain stuck on several key issues. The PM is today calling European Commission President Ursula Von De Leyen to try and keep the dreams of a deal with the 27 member states alive. Over the weekend, both Johnson and Von Der Leyen urged their respective teams to keep negotiations going over the contentious issues of fisheries and EU governance post Brexit. According to the Sun, if the Prime Minister is not satisfied that a deal can be done in the next three weeks, he could address the country as early as Wednesday and decide to push ahead with a controversial no-deal Brexit. One EU diplomat told The Sun today: "EU-UK negotiations have entered the endgame, time is running out quickly. “Despite intensive negotiations until late last night, the gaps on level playing field, governance and fisheries are still not bridged. The outcome is still uncertain, it can still go both ways. “The EU is ready to go the extra mile to agree on a fair, sustainable and balanced deal for citizens in the EU and UK. It is for the UK to chose between such a positive outcome or a no deal outcome." Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin told RTÉ that he thinks it's about 50/50 as to whether the UK secures a deal and that talks "were on a knife edge." The last chance for a deal to be signed off by European member states is this Thursday.