UK's Johnson seeks to outlaw extension of EU trade pact talks

Sam Lowe, from the Centre for European Reform think tank, said there would be a lot of "performance theatre" from the government in the next six months to fulfil Johnson's Brexit pledge.

"The landing zone for the negotiation probably won't emerge until later next year," he wrote on Twitter.

"For a deal to be reached in the space of 11 months, the UK will need to concede to most of the EU's demands. Politically, Johnson can't concede without having put up a jolly good fight first, and alternative needs to be something worse."