Britain will begin preparations to leave the EU without a trade deal in just four months if Brussels does not agree to the UK’s demands by then. In the UK’s negotiating mandate, published this morning, Boris Johnson made clear that if the “broad outline” of a deal is not agreed by June, the Government will then switch its attention to exiting the transition period without one at the end of the year. The 30-page document, which follows the publication of the EU’s mandate on Tuesday, puts huge pressure on Brussels to agree to Mr Johnson’s vision for future trade.

However, the bloc does not seem willing to compromise, with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier repeatedly warning he will not accept a deal “at any price” if it suspects the UK of planning to cut corners on standards and subsidies to gain unfair commercial advantage.

To further complicate things, French President Emmanuel Macron also appears determined to ensure the EU becomes a stronger union after Brexit.

On Saturday, the French leader said he was “not sure” a trade deal was possible by the end of the year.

He noted negotiations will be “tense”, with fishing rights a key point of contention.

Mr Macron’s hardline stance, though, should not come as a surprise for Britons, as the French leader has often made clear his disdain for Brexit and Mr Johnson.

Speaking after a summit of EU leaders in Salzburg in April 2018, Mr Macron went as far as to accuse Brexiteers of being “liars”.

He said: “Brexit is the choice of the British people, a choice pushed by those who predicted easy solutions.

“They are liars, they left the next day so they didn’t have to manage it.

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“It’s not so easy to leave the EU, it’s not without a cost, it’s not without consequences.

“Michel Barnier has presented us many details in a very convincing way on how the backstop is going to work … respecting citizens and companies while protecting borders and the integrity of the single market.”

The speech appeared to be a thinly-veiled but brutal attack against Mr Johnson who, after leading the Vote Leave campaign in the 2016 EU referendum, quickly pulled out of the Conservative leadership election to replace David Cameron.

Mr Johnson endorsed Andrea Leadsom’s candidature, but she dropped out of the race a week later, leaving Theresa May to be elected uncontested.

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The former London Mayor was subsequently appointed Foreign Secretary by Mrs May but then resigned in July 208, in protest at her Chequers deal.

He had to wait until the following year to finally come to power.

At the December 12 general election, Mr Johnson secured a crushing victory and is now one of the most popular Prime Ministers since Margaret Thatcher.

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