EU chief negotiator Barnier says no deal increasingly likely but “we can still hope to avoid it”

The European Union still hopes to avoid Britain crashing out of the European Union without a divorce agreement, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Tuesday.

“Over the last days a no-deal scenario has become more likely, but we can still hope to avoid it,” Barnier said, adding the EU was ready to accept Britain staying the EU’s customs union or a relationship akin to the one the EU has with Norway.