The European Commission president voiced concerns over the Prime Minister’s move towards an “Australia-style” in order to avoid EU’s so-called “level-playing field” demands on rules and standards. She said it would be a British choice to pursue a fresh no-deal scenario and revert to World Trade Organisation terms. Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Mrs von der Leyen said she was “surprised” by Mr Johnson’s push for an “Australian-style deal”.

She added: “Australia, without any doubt is a strong ever like minded partner, but the European Union does not have a trade agreement is Australia.

“We are currently trading on WTO terms. And if this is the British choice. Well, we are fine with that without any question.

“In fact, we just are in the moment where we agreeing with Australia that we must end this situation, and we were going to try to deal with them.”

Brussels is concerned that Mr Johnson is rowing back on the pledges he signed up to in the non-binding Political Declaration on the future relationship.

Mrs von der Leyen said the EU’s offer to the UK was unprecedented and goes beyond its pacts with Japan and Canada.

She said the bloc’s current trade partners were happy to sign up to its demands to maintain environmental standards and workers’ rights in line with Brussels.

“They are not just increasing our bilateral exchanges of goods, services, people and idea, they do that too,” She said.

“But not only. They also raise standards on a broad range of issues from labour rights to environmental, and this is what makes us proud of them ask our, our Japanese friends, or ask our Canadian friends.

“They are glad that we have joined forces to put fairness into our globalised economic system.”

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In an unveiled threat to Britain, she added Japan and Canada had signed a deal with Brussels because of the side of the single market.

Mrs von der Leyen said: “They are glad that they could join forces with the European Union, because frankly in today’s world, size does matter.

“And we have a single market of 440 million people, what I just described.”

The German set out expectations of Mr Johnson to sign up to similar promises to maintain standards to secure a “zero tariff, zero quota” trade deal.

She added: “In short, this is plain and simply the level playing field. We are ready to discuss on all different models of trade agreement.”

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Nathalie Loiseau, France’s most senior MEP and a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, insisted Paris would make the same demands throughout the trade talks.

She warned that the bloc won’t “trade on this or host trade” without a comprehensive “level-playing field” deal.

“Brexit is not intended to break the links that bind economies, people, and history,” she said.

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