THE BRITISH government is in the "last leg of negotiations" with the EU, the UK foreign secretary has said, with fishing rights remaining an "outstanding major bone of contention" in post-Brexit trade talks.
Dominic Raab said it was likely the talks were entering the "last real major week" but an agreement remained possible if the EU showed "pragmatism".
He said the focus of the negotiations in the coming days was on resolving a "fairly narrow" set of issues, with a looming deadline for striking a trade agreement just four weeks away.
Discussions resumed in London over the weekend, after chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier left self-isolation following a colleague's positive Covid-19 test last week.
Mr Raab urged Brussels to recognise the "point of principle" on Britain's control of fishing rights in its waters.
He told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday: "I do think we're in a reasonable position – there's a deal to be done.
"If you look really at what the outstanding issues are, of course the level playing field, but it feels like there is progress towards greater respect for what the UK position was.
"On fishing there's a point of principle: as we leave the EU we're going to be an independent... coastal state and we've got to be able to control our waters."
The foreign secretary said the British government recognised the impact on other countries, but added: "I think the answer is 'can the EU accept that point of principle which comes with us leaving the political club?".
He later told the BBC that "mutual interest in a deal is very strong."
Labour meanwhile warned that a no-deal outcome would cause "untold economic harm" though the party has so far resisted confirming its support for an agreement.
Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon told Sky: "We do want to see a deal, but until we see the construct of a deal, we can't confirm our support for it."
Mr Barnier told reporters as he arrived for the second day of discussions: "Work continues, even on a Sunday."
Progress is understood to have been made across many areas, yet significant gaps remain on the EU's access to UK fishing waters when the transition period ends on December 31.
Reports last week suggested that Mr Barnier recently said the EU could accept a 15-18 per cent cut in its share of fishing rights in UK waters, but British officials were said to have immediately rejected the offer.
A UK government source said: "These figures are risible, and the EU side know full well that we would never accept this.
"There seems to be a failure from the commission to internalise the scale of change needed as we become an independent nation."
The British government has repeatedly said it is prepared to leave the transition period without a deal if the EU fails to move, and talks have been deadlocked for months over fishing rights and other issues.
They include the governance of any deal and the "level playing field" conditions aimed at preventing unfair competition by cutting standards or increasing state subsidies.
