U.K. Could Agree on ‘Mini Deals’ With EU If Trade Talks Fail

U.K. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said that Britain and the European Union could engage in a series of “mini unilateral” deals if no trade agreement is reached by the end of the month.

Gove said that Britain and the bloc’s 27 member states could form a new “special relationship” after the end of the transition period, close to the U.K. and U.S. link, which could include agreements he described as “side deals,” the Telegraph reported. Any trade agreement is “realistically unlikely” to be approved until after Christmas, meaning that lawmakers may only vote on a potential deal just hours ahead of the end of the transition period, he said.