European Union leaders will meet on November 25 to finalise terms for Britain’s departure from the European Union, it has been confirmed.

Speaking alongside EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier at a press conference in Brussels, European Council President Donald Tusk said Brexit was a “lose-lose situation” for the UK and EU and sent a message to the British people: “As much as I am sad to see you leave, I will do everything to make this farewell the least painful possible, for you and for us.”

Mr Tusk said that the agreement was already being analysed by all the member states, and by the end of this week the EU27 ambassadors will meet in order to share their assessment.

“I hope that there will not be too many comments,” he said.

Ambassadors and ministers of the EU27 will also discuss the mandate for the European Commission to finalise the joint political declaration on future UK/EU relations published in outline form on Wednesday with the intention of agreeing a final form of the declaration by next Tuesday.

Over the following 48 hours, member states will evaluate the document and sherpas should conclude the work on November 22, allowing the European Council to convene at 9.30am on November 25 “if nothing extraordinary happens”.

Meanwhile, Shailesh Vara has quit as Northern Ireland Minister, saying he cannot support Theresa May’s Brexit agreement, which he said “leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation”.

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