frost, who is meeting with michel barnier and his team. both teams trying to work out what is now the fourth meeting in the last couple of weeks between them in talks in what the eu side say, michel barnier last night updated mps in the eu parliament saying that what the talks consisted of where aspirations, visions from the british side, from the government in terms of the irish border issue and how whether there is an alternative arrangement for the backstop, for the guarantee to not levying a hard border. and whilst there was talk of, for example, having business units where you have customs checks. my contact within the european commission saying that actually, that doesn't mean there wouldn't be a hard border flair point, even if it wasn't at the border. crucially, that i would have michel barnier was pretty much plain speak saying that he is not optimistic of any significant progress at this rate between now and october. no cause for particular optimism. that is quite grave words from him that, effectively, words, words, words, but a

you'll be accompanied by the secretary steve barclay —— he will be accompanied and by david frost. all the key players getting together here now and effectively there is five days to go until the 30 day timetable was discussed. nothing formal with that but it's all part of the picture of a very tight deadlines. yes, that 30 days, i think it was to be read as a rough guideline, really, of what they could be aiming for. the concern from the eu side is what they have heard over the last few days and over the weekend, today, is from the prime minister, from ministers in london, is optimism. they believe progress is being made, a deal can be secured, but from the eu side, nothing has been put forward. nothing that addresses all of the eu's concerns and on the crucial issue of the irish backstop, and what the eu says it needs, is it something if the uk side wants to prevent that provision in the current deal that achieves the same thing. on the one hand, there is concern about whether the uk is going to come up with something. they hear from the uk site that may be it's still too early t

we think david frost will be back in brussels for more talks on wednesday and also on friday its opportunities for specifics to be put on the table. the general secretary of the tuc says she doesn't want a no—deal brexit because workers' jobs are threatened by it. frances o'grady has been addressing delegates at their annual conference in brighton. she addressed the prime miister directly saying she wants to ensure that a no—deal get‘s ruled out once and for all. when working people organise, we do have courage and we are the true optimists, we know that is a better way went this country draws on the talents of all our people and makes sure everyone has a voice and a sta ke sure everyone has a voice and a stake in rebuilding britain. a new dealfor stake in rebuilding britain. a new deal for working stake in rebuilding britain. a new dealfor working people. let's use our political voice can hold our nerve and get no deal ruled out for good. then we can have the general election to get the change that working people need. boris, you bet we are ready, because we want a government that respe

frost. if constructive negotiations are going on, surely can get —— surely he can get a deal without the distraction of a general election. the prime ministers committed to getting a deal if he can and he's working hard at that but if you take no deal off the table if this bill does, you totally wrecked those negotiations, that removes wrecked those negotiations, that re m oves a re wrecked those negotiations, that removes are leveraged and gives no incentive for the european union to engage with us properly, that's why this bill is so damaging and we cannot let it happen, we must have a general election to give the british people a choice. who's going to negotiate for them at the summit, jeremy corbyn or borisjohnson? hong kong chief executive carrie lam has once again said she hopes the withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill will help end more than three months of protests. she was speaking the day after formally withdrawing the bill. here's what she had to say. so as far as

frost, in the last few weeks and furthermore, we know that is not enough for the eu. i think it is going to be a fairly difficult meeting to see progress coming out of it unless the uk as something new to table. as i think you heard a few minutes ago, the irish side and the eu side very clearly are saying that they do not believe the proposals are enough. what they feel is that the uk side is trying to remove a guarantee, a backstop for ireland, and replace it with first of all customs checks on the island of ireland, which the eu side and the irish state is not acceptable because it threatens both the peace process and the ability if the eu to control its single market, but, secondly, they say it is not even clear how exactly those would be mitigated in future because the uk wa nts to mitigated in future because the uk wants to delay discussion of the mitigation, alternative arrangements, until after exit date and again, that is simply not a cce pta ble and again, that is simply not acceptable to the eu because they need a guarantee now. still come on the substance,

he has got a new brexit negotiator, a guy called david frost, who has been out there. they have been talking to brussels about what they want to change from the withdrawal agreement that theresa may job the withdrawal agreement that theresa mayjob and was defeated repeatedly defeated in the commons. it is changing the language around the backstop, the mechanism to prevent a heart border in ireland. so they want a deal and they are trying to get a deal, but realistically where they are now, it doesn't look likely or even remotely likely that they would get a deal and be able to sort it by the current brexit deadline of the end of next month. —— hard border. so when borisjohnson says he wants a deal, i think that is right, he does wa nt deal, i think that is right, he does want a deal, but in all likelihood if nothing else changes, and we know that things are going to change, but if nothing else were to change, no deal would look more likely, because getting a deal he can live with and that he can get through parliament and negotiate unsought, any time frame of less