Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Brexit ‘breakthrough’ deal paves way for future trade talks… Prime Minister Theresa May has struck a last minute deal with the EU to move Brexit talks on to the next phase. There will be no “hard border” in Ireland and EU citizens in the UK, and UK citizens in the EU, will see their rights protected. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said “the breakthrough we needed” had been achieved, after months of negotiations. Talks on post-Brexit trade between the UK and EU can now go ahead. – BBC News European Commission recommends Brexit talks move to Phase 2 – Politico Theresa May confirms Brexit breakthrough after tense all night talks in Brussels with Irish border deadlock finally broken – The Sun Brexit deal: what Theresa May and Jean‑Claude Juncker said – The Times (£) Philip Hammond delighted that UK and EU move forward Brexit talks – Reuters Businesses relieved after Brexit breakthrough confirmed – City A.M. Theresa May wins as EU backs down and agrees time-limit on Euro judges – The Sun Brexit breakthrough: key points of the deal – FT (£) Brexit deal gives Theresa May what she needs – for now – Laura Kuenssberg for BBC News The UK has played into the EU’s hands in every step of these talks – Ryan Bourne for the Telegraph (£) > WATCH: Theresa May announces ‘sufficient progress’ made in Brexit negotiations > READ: Full text of joint UK-EU statement on Brexit deal …as Theresa May promises to uphold the Northern Ireland peace process… Theresa May said on Friday she would continue to govern in the interests of all Northern Ireland and uphold the agreement that ended decades of sectarian violence in the province. The statement comes as an impasse over the future of the Irish border once Britain leaves the European Union looked to have been resolved. “This Government will continue to govern in the interests of the whole community in Northern Ireland and uphold the Agreements that have underpinned the huge progress that has been made over the past two decades,” a statement published on the government’s website said. – Reuters Deal agreed in Brexit talks as Theresa May ‘guarantees’ no hard border for Ireland – The Times (£) Theresa May’s 6 promises to Northern Ireland – Politico …while DUP offers guarded support for phase one Brexit deal as Ireland says ‘all goals’ achieved The Democratic Unionist Party has indicated it supports Theresa May’s phase one Brexit deal, having secured six “substantial” changes to the text addressing the Irish border issue. Arlene Foster, the party’s leader, told Sky News this morning that following talks with the prime minister “there is no red line down the Irish Sea and clear confirmation that the entirety of the UK is leaving the European Union, the single market and the customs unions.” However, DUP sources warned early on Friday morning that they still had concerns about the arrangement… The document adds that if no agreement is reached, then the UK must maintain “full alignment” with the EU’s single market and customs union on areas which are integral to preserving the Good Friday Agreement and cross-border trade. – Telegraph (£) Leo Varadkar: ‘we have achieved all that we set out to achieve’ – FT (£) Brexit deal reaction: Michael Gove says ‘Theresa May has won’ but Nigel Farage says it is ‘not acceptable’ – Telegraph Brexit deal: agreement was struck thanks to a bit of fudging over Ireland – Oliver Wright for The Times (£) Donald Tusk puts forward new set of draft guidelines setting out EU demands for Phase 2 talks The guidelines would aim for a transition period that requires the U.K. to obey all EU rules and regulations for about two years, as if it remained a member of the club, even as Britain would lose all voting rights. And in a potential disappointment for London, the guidelines take a very narrow approach to discussions on a future trading relationship, stating that yet another set of guidelines will be needed to fully address the “framework for the future relationship.” …They also note that the U.K. will leave the EU’s customs union and single market, and state pointedly that the Council in crafting a deal with the U.K. will take steps to safeguard the market and trade relations with other countries… The guidelines also state that the EU is ready to partner with the U.K. in other areas: “The European Council reconfirms its readiness to establish partnerships in areas unrelated to trade, in particular the fight against terrorism and international crime, as well as security, defence and foreign policy.” – Politico > READ via Politico: Draft European Council guidelines for December summit Leave campaigners warn May against ‘regulatory alignment’ with EU Gisela Stuart, the former Labour MP who led the Vote Leave campaign alongside Johnson and Gove, said: “[It] would be completely unacceptable if we were forced to agree a deal where regulatory alignment saw the UK continue to be subject to rules designed and imposed by Brussels. “It would be single market membership in all but name. The government must stand firm in the negotiations and stick to the principles set out in the prime minister’s Lancaster House speech.” The group said May would be signing up to become a “rule taker” if she accepted regulatory alignment in which the UK would have to comply with rules made in Brussels without having elected representatives to oversee the formation and amendment of those laws. Change Britain said it was not the same as “mutual recognition” of each other’s laws and regulations, which is a different and clearly defined concept in EU trade policy. – Guardian Gisela Stuart: Regulatory alignment ‘completely unacceptable’, doesn’t respect referendum – Guido Fawkes Boris Johnson fires warning shot at Theresa May as he says ‘whole of UK must take back control’ after Brexit – Telegraph (£) Boris Johnson explains ‘EU can go whistle’ remark – BBC News Ministers are mistaken. Regulatory alignment is Single Market membership in all but name. Here’s why – Gisela Stuart for ConservativeHome > Martin Howe QC on BrexitCentral: Costly EU demands on regulatory alignment could prevent us securing trade deals elsewhere German SPD leader Martin Schulz names ‘United States of Europe’ by 2025 as his price for joining coalition with Angela Merkel The man who could be Germany’s vice-chancellor within weeks on Thursday called for the European Union to transform itself into a “United States of Europe”. Martin Schulz, the leader of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), called for a new federal constitution for the EU by 2025. Hours before his party voted to open talks on forming a new coalition with the beleaguered Angela Merkel, Mr Schulz made clear he would demand radical EU reform and far deeper integration than previously envisaged as his price for ending weeks of political crisis in Germany. – Telegraph All UK regions exporting more goods than last year, trade figures show Exports of goods have risen in every region of the UK since last year, in what will be a welcome sign for the Government as it attempts to tackle a record high current account deficit. Figures released by HM Revenue & Customs on Thursday showed that, in the year to September, England exported 14pc more goods than a year earlier, reaching £241.1bn, while Scotland’s goods exports rose by 19.9pc to £28bn. Exports of goods in Wales rose by 18.9pc to £16.4bn and Northern Ireland’s by 13.3pc to £8.5bn. – Telegraph MPs call on Government to step up border preparations Parliament’s spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), claims borders could be exposed to risks immediately after Brexit because of a lack of planning… “Officials are relying too much on there being a transitional period in order to have the time to develop the new systems and infrastructure that may be required. The current negotiations bring significant uncertainty, but the new Border Planning Group and Government departments need to step up and be prepared for the possibility of a no-deal scenario and for the costs of all potential options.” The committee is worried that the Government’s Border Planning Group does not expect to have any extra border infrastructure, such as additional parking bays at ports for lorries, in place by Brexit day in March 2019. Another concern is that not all new and updated IT systems required as a result of Brexit will be up and running by the withdrawal date either. – Sky News Government’s approach to preparing UK borders for no deal Brexit ‘borderline reckless’, claims Public Accounts Committee – Telegraph (£) Peter Foster: The demons of the Irish border question have not been slain by Theresa May What the mini-crisis of the last four days has demonstrated beyond doubt is that semantic fudges – which ultimately were enough to obtain ‘sufficient progress’ at this stage – will not be enough ultimately to do a deal… Mrs May still has to reconcile the fundamental tensions in her cabinet between hard Brexiteers like Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, who see Brexit as a chance to ‘diverge’ from the EU – for Britain to seek regulatory advantage and embark on a new global trading policy – and soft Brexiteers, like the chancellor Philip Hammond, who do not… Any attempt to seek competitive advantage and diverge from the EU – on tax, on regulation, or state aid – will be viewed essentially as a hostile act, which the EU will seek to redress by insisting on what it calls the “level playing-field”, and Brexiteers will call the protectionist manacles of the EU superstate. It was the mere prospect of these choices that precipitated the row of the last few days. Next year they will have to be confronted head-on, with political consequences that have only now begun to be appreciated. – Peter Foster for the Telegraph (£) Peter Lyon: Regulatory alignment would prevent Britain securing the benefits of Brexit Many nations have already indicated keenness to negotiate free trade deals with the UK, such as the US (our largest individual trading partner), Australia, New Zealand, India and Switzerland. Signing these deals as soon as possible is necessary to fulfil Theresa May’s vision of a Global Britain. Becoming a global leader in free trade would not only make it easier for British businesses to export, therefore boosting our economy, but would also be of great assistance to developing countries which have been disadvantaged by the EU’s protectionist Customs Union. However, as the US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross recently pointed out, these trade negotiations will be impeded if Britain does not have regulatory freedom from anti-competitive EU regulations. – Peter Lyon of Get Britain Out for Reaction Telegraph: Britain voted to leave the EU to escape a United States of Europe Amid the confusion and controversy surrounding Britain’s future relationship with the EU, one crucial factor is too easily forgotten. Down the years, it is not trade that has been the problem with our membership, but the EU’s political aggrandisement. We joined the old Common Market imagining that the UK would be part of a trading bloc with harmonised rules and no internal tariffs. Had it stayed that way, there would be no parting of the ways today… Martin Schulz, leader of the German Social Democratic Party, yesterday called for EU member states to commit to a “United States of Europe” by 2025 – and he made it a condition that Angela Merkel should change her EU policy if his party is to consider forming a new “grand coalition” to end the political crisis in Germany… Had the UK voted to stay in the EU, the pressure to sign up would have been enormous, not least from those now trying to undo Brexit. Since we could never have agreed to that, it is better that we get out now. – Telegraph editorial (£) Brexit in brief Brexit divorce terms were the easy bit — now for the trade talks – Matt Chorley for The Times (£) Britain fought hard over the Brexit bill. So why is Philip Hammond rushing to pay it? – Asa Bennett for the Telegraph (£) Nicola Sturgeon loses all influence over Brexit – Alan Cochrane for the Telegraph (£) Brexit will be a success story – but for now, our leaders have lost the plot – John Longworth for the Guardian It is time to put ‘no deal’ firmly back on the table – Johan Eliasch for the Telegraph (£) Europe has its head in the sand over Brexit. But there’s a way out of the looming impasse – Jeremy Warner for the Telegraph (£) And finally… CBI says Brexit is the “most serious issue any country in the world has ever had to face” – Guido Fawkes