Boris Johnson told the EU Britain must have “freedom” to make its own rules last night as cabinet ministers said he should pursue a no-deal Brexit unless Brussels backs down. The prime minister and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, last night agreed to a “final throw of the dice” this week to salvage a deal. But a senior No 10 figure warned the chances of getting an agreement were now “no better than 50-50” after more than four years and five months of talks. – Sunday Times
France will back a trade deal allowing the UK to diverge from EU standards but the bloc should not be time-pressured into agreeing damaging terms in the final hours, France’s European affairs minister has said, as the Brexit negotiations restarted in Brussels. Clément Beaune, a close ally of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, repeated the threat of a French veto amid divisions among the 27 member states over the necessity of a deal this year, but hinted at a compromise on the thorniest issue. – Guardian
Brexit trade talks will resume on Sunday afternoon after a minister hinted that the negotiations could be extended if it becomes clear that a deal is possible. Lord Frost, Britain’s lead negotiator, arrived in Brussels to continue the talks as Government sources suggested the chances of a deal were now no more than 50-50. Boris Johnson will speak to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, on Monday evening to assess whether progress has been made and if it is worthwhile carrying on. – Sunday Telegraph
Britain must end all oil and gas extraction in the North Sea as a matter of urgency if it is to maintain its position as a credible climate champion. That was the stark warning issued by green campaigners yesterday in the wake of last week’s decision by Denmark to halt its exploration for new North Sea reserves as part of its commitment to cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change. – Guardian
Netflix is hiking prices for the third time in three years, by as much as 17pc, to underpin its heavy spending on original series and films as the streaming wars intensify. It will announce on Thursday that its standard and premium packages will rise by £1 to £9.99 and £2 to £13.99 respectively. The move comes as Netflix spends $1bn (£743m) on British productions this year. Netflix has around 15m UK subscribers, according to research firm BARB, but is facing a fierce battle for viewers from an influx of new streaming services such as Disney+ and Britbox. – Sunday Telegraph
Billionaire Mike Ashley is racing to seal a last-gasp rescue of Debenhams this weekend in a dramatic intervention that could save up to 12,000 jobs. The Frasers Group tycoon has revived his interest in taking over the struggling department store chain at the eleventh hour. The move could save Debenhams from liquidation: the 242-year-old group had seemed set to disappear from the high street for good after JD Sports withdrew from the running to buy it from administrators last Tuesday. – Sunday Times
The telecoms regulator is understood to have assured BT several times that it would be able to make a double-digit rate of return on its £12bn investment to roll out full fibre-optic broadband. Last year, when Dame Sharon White was chief executive, Ofcom is understood to have indicated that BT could expect to earn a return similar to the rate it generated on its previous installation of less speedy broadband based on the old copper network, when it made 15% over 10 years. The assurance is understood to have been repeated by interim Ofcom chief executive Jonathan Oxley in February this year. – Sunday Times
Britain’s biggest banks have stopped opening new current accounts for small businesses after finding as many as half the applications may be fraudulent. HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds Banking Group confirmed they no longer accept applications from new business customers. Barclays is offering newcomers appointments to open accounts – but not until February due to high demand. Smaller banks including Virgin Money and Metro Bank have also pulled down the shutters. – Mail on Sunday
Thousands of BT employees are ramping up plans for a national strike for the first time in nearly 30 years as Britain faces a wave of industrial unrest this winter. It is understood that 45,000 workers canvassed across BT and its Openreach and EE arms are largely in favour of a formal vote on industrial action early next year. An initial ‘consultative’ ballot closes on Thursday and one union source said: ‘We are on course for a massive ‘yes’ vote. This is going to be a thumping victory.’ – Mail on Sunday
The demise of Topshop, Debenhams, Bonmarche and Moss Bros over the past week has widely been regarded as a sign of impending doom for our high streets. So it’s hard to believe one stores giant is busy expanding in towns and cities across Britain as other retailers falter. Yet this weekend, Poundland managing director Barry Williams reveals he is opening half a dozen new stores – and already has his eye on more to add to his existing 856. ‘There’s a lot of space coming available on the high street,’ he says candidly, with no small hint that he wants to move fast. – Mail on Sunday
