Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Brexit trade talks ‘can begin in December’ says EU… Germany and France have removed their block to beginning Brexit trade and transition talks after Theresa May’s personal pleas for urgent progress. EU leaders have agreed to begin work on the final stage of Brexit negotiations on the understanding that the prime minister will make further concessions on money over the coming weeks. Mrs May told the other leaders that she was ready to go further on her promise, made in a speech in Florence last month, to “honour” financial commitments. She said that British negotiators would start going “line by line” through EU budget liabilities totalling €238.8 billion identifying what obligations would be paid. – The Times (£) 5 takeaways from the autumn EU leaders’ summit – Politico Deal or no deal, let’s make Brexit a new deal – James Forsyth for The Sun Some positive movement, but still a long way to go – Jack Tagholm-Child for Get Britain Out … if Theresa May agrees to pay Brussels a huge sum… EU leaders today offered Theresa May a Brexit divorce deal by Christmas – but only if she forks out £48bn for it. After the PM left a Brussels summit, Europe’s other 27 leaders met to give the order to prepare for trade and transition talks from December. But they all made it clear that Phase Two of Brexit talks will only start if Mrs May spells out what future EU obligations – such as long-term grants and pensions – she will stump up for. So far, Britain has offered £18 billion in exchange for a two year-long transition period from 2019 to 2021. But French president Emmanuel Macron risked a fresh row by insisting the figure was “not even half way there”. –The Sun PM hints we might up our cash offer — and suddenly the EU wants to talk about trade deals – The Sun editorial …despite reports EU had ‘softened’ their hardline stance EU leaders softened their stance significantly on Brexit talks yesterday amid fears in Brussels that Theresa May’s Government could collapse if negotiations remain deadlocked. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said she was now in “absolutely no doubt” that the EU and the UK could make a success of negotiations as she accepted for the first time that both sides must make concessions. Donald Tusk, the European Council president, said talk of deadlock had been “exaggerated”, while Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, said he was determined to “have a fair deal” with the UK. – Telegraph (£) Talk of deadlock is exaggerated, says Donald Tusk – BBC Brexit trade talks will be more complicated than first phase, says Merkel – Guardian Why political choreography matters – Telegraph The EU side wants to ramp up the pressure – not wind down the talks.- Henry Newman for ConservativeHome Theresa May examining financial commitments ‘line by line’ The British government is examining the U.K.’s financial commitments to the EU “line by line,” Prime Minister Theresa May told journalists before leaving the European Council summit in Brussels. EU leaders at the event said repeatedly that they require more clarity from the U.K. on divorce issues — especially Britain’s financial settlement — before allowing Brexit talks to move on to trade. And in remarks that hint May has not closed the door on making more financial concessions, she said: “There has to be detailed work on those commitments … We’ll continue to go through them line by line.” – Politico After Prime Minister Theresa May’s broad offer in Florence that no EU member state should pay more or receive less from the current EU budget, and her commitment to honour obligations taken during the UK’s membership, it is difficult to see how much more the UK government can put on the table during this first stage. Domestically, it would be politically fraught for the UK to commit to a larger payment without receiving anything in return – Aarti Shankar for Open Europe Theresa May refuses to put a figure on Brexit divorce bill – Independent UK will struggle to change UK borders in time, says watchdog The government will struggle to deliver the “huge changes” required to the UK’s borders in time for Brexit, Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Commons public accounts committee. The Labour MP was responding to a report by the National Audit Office, the UK’s spending watchdog. The report warned of a significant increase in workload for border forces following Brexit. The government said it would ensure border forces had adequate resources. The border workforce has reduced by 4% over the past four years.- BBC French descend on London in bid to ‘seduce’ 250 British firms with post-Brexit future on continent French politicians and business leaders hosted an event in central London on Friday in an attempt to “seduce” British businesses into relocating to northern France. Hundreds of regional politicians and business leaders from the Hauts-de-France region entertained representatives from more than 250 businesses operating in the UK. The event, named “Link Lille,” was organised by the Grand Lille Committee, a consortium in the region’s capital city which hopes to attract British commerce across the Channel after Brexit. This newspaper has also obtained a list of the British businesses invited, which included senior figures from the aviation, financial services, travel and retail industries – Telegraph (£) City grandee: We need 10 years to exit the EU – Evening Standard Politicians must make life easier for business in post-Brexit Britain – Howard Shore for the Telegraph (£) Investors in Europe need to retain the UK’s expertise – Chris Cummings for the Telegraph (£) Macron: Those around PM are ‘bluffing’ about no deal Brexit French president Emanuel Macron has said those around the prime minister are “bluffing” about a ‘no deal’ Brexit.”There is one negotiator on the British side, who is under the political authority of Mrs May. At no point has she mentioned ‘no deal’ as an option,” he said. “There may be some noise, bluffing, fake news, secondary characters or spectators to these discussions – this, if I may say, is the media’s business. But this is not part of our discussions.” Speaking to reporters after an EU summit in Brussels, he also said the future Brexit bill – the central issue blocking talks from moving on to transition and trade – would be “substantial”. – Evening Standard ’95 per cent chance of No Deal’ says former Minister for Europe – Telegraph We don’t need a trade deal with the EU – WTO rules will suit us just fine – Liam Halligan for the Telegraph (£) Now is the time to prepare for ‘no deal’ – Telegraph editorial (£) Charles Moore: The EU is treating Britain like a naughty child: it wants to humiliate us into a bad deal We are constantly told how difficult it is to get agreement among the EU27 (ie, the European Union minus Britain) for anything. This week, however, they discussed at the European Council whether Britain had yet made “sufficient progress” over the first phase of Brexit talks to permit entry into the second phase, which will deal with trade negotiations. It had not, they agreed – “after a discussion,” the BBC reported, “lasting 90 seconds”. So the Council announced that when it meets in December, it will review this matter again. If it feels like it, it will declare “sufficient progress” for phase two. If not, not. – Charles Moore for the Telegraph (£) Isabel Hardman: Ceci n’est pas une no deal, says Macron Is the government really changing its policy on planning for a no deal? That question isn’t simple to answer, not least because it’s not entirely clear what the government’s policy is on this matter: Philip Hammond has said the government won’t spend the necessary money until it needs to, while Theresa May says whatever money needs to be spent will be spent. But the pressure has been rising from Brexiteers for ministers to make real plans and produce real money to ensure that those plans are implemented.- Isabel Hardman for The Spectator Mark Wallace: Corbyn’s attempt to disrupt the EU talks is a self-interested strategy – but it could backfire We’ve covered before on LeftWatch the range of often conflicting positions on Brexit held by the Labour Party. At the moment, the one they choose to talk about most is the position stated in their manifesto – namely that they would reject a ‘no deal’ Brexit. In terms of negotiation strategy, the naivety of such a position is extraordinary. Telling Brussels that under no circumstances would they leave without a deal is the same as offering to buy a deal of any quality at any price – an open invitation to the EU to make the worst possible offer, and demand the highest imaginable sum for the privilege. – Mark Wallace for ConservativeHome Asa Bennett: Theresa May’s bumper Brexit bill appeases the EU, but it invites a Eurosceptic revolt European leaders aren’t going to start talks about their future trading relationship with Britain: they have instead decided to talk among themselves first. They may “take account” of what the British say about trade, but there won’t be a proper dialogue about it until December at earliest.Still, Theresa May can boast that they are preparing to give Britain a Christmas present of proper trade talks from December. Angela Merkel suggested as such last night, claiming to see “no signs” that negotiators cannot get a deal done even if the current stage of the process drags on “for two or three weeks longer, or even longer”. – Asa Bennett for the Telegraph (£) Brexit in brief With hardcore Brexiteers urging ‘no deal’, Labour’s duty is clear – Jonathan Freedland for the Guardian Treasury Select Committee to investigate “no deal” Brexit’s economic consequences – City A.M. Three-quarters of the UK public say Brexit is going badly – Independent Theresa May’s former spin doctor reveals Article 50 was triggered too early – Independent Mandelson left humiliated after claiming nobody was told leaving the EU meant leaving the single market – The Sun