BORIS JOHNSON warned yesterday that agreeing a post-Brexit trade deal was “looking difficult” after European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that the talks have “just a few hours” left to run.

The Prime Minister said that it was for the EU to compromise to avoid the transition period ending on December 31 without a deal.

He reiterated that “no sensible government” could agree to a treaty that does not give the country control of its own laws and fishing waters, referring to two major sticking points in the negotiations.

Mr Johnson accepted that the consequences of failing to broker a deal in time “may be difficult at first,” but he insisted that Britain will “prosper mightily.”

The EU has fixed a new deadline for a deal of tomorrow night in order to have enough time for MEPs to ratify it, while the Commons is on standby during the Christmas recess to vote on any agreement.

However, European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said yesterday that there was “no official deadline for finishing.”

The day before, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who is responsible for no-deal planning, admitted that no deal was the “most likely outcome.”