Full Brexit trade agreement text published – follow live

Cabinet minister Michael Gove, writing in The Times, said the deal will create a new “special relationship” – a term usually used to refer to UK-US links – and end the “ugly” politics since the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Mr Gove, one of the leading architects of Brexit who famously said that people had “had enough of experts” after the 2016 referendum, claimed the agreement would also allow bitter disputes on the issue to recede, “moving politics into a better place”.

He wrote: “In the short term there is much to be done to help prepare business for our new relationships. After December 31 companies and individuals will need to adjust to new customs processes and border procedures.

“The deal smooths that transition but the changes are still significant and ministers have a responsibility not to let up on preparing new IT systems, new import rules and new trading infrastructure.”

Our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, has scoured the newly published Brexit trade deal draft looking for implications for travel.

Read on via his Twitter thread: 

Former national security adviser Lord Ricketts has warned that security and justice cooperation will be “slower” and “more clunky” with the new deal than under EU membership.

He said police forces will have to “settle” for a slower information sharing system and that the UK will have a “more arms-length” role in Europol.

And the crossbench peer warned that any cooperation can be suspended if the UK “fails to respect fundamental rights as set out” in the European Court of Human Rights.

Priti Patel claimed the Brexit deal will help make the UK safer, despite police chiefs’ concerns about lack of access to a key EU information database.

Brussels has said the UK will no longer have “direct, real-time access” to sensitive information.

The home secretary said: “The safety and security of UK citizens is the government’s top priority and the UK will continue to be one of the safest countries in the world.

“I’m immensely proud of the comprehensive package of capabilities we’ve agreed with the EU.

“It means both sides have effective tools to tackle serious crime and terrorism, protecting the public and bringing criminals to justice.

“But we will also seize this historic opportunity to make the UK safer and more secure through firmer and fairer border controls.”

Officials in Brussels and the capitals of EU states are also beginning to scrutinise the deal, with a meeting of ambassadors expected before the new year, possibly on 28 December.

However MEPs are not expected to approve it until the new year, meaning it will have to apply provisionally until they give it the green light.

The European Commission has proposed applying the agreement on a provisional basis until 28 February 2021 to allow a vote to take place.

MPs and peers will be called back to Westminster on 30 December to vote on the deal.

The agreement will almost certainly be passed by Parliament, with Labour supporting it, as the alternative would be a chaotic no-deal situation on 1 January.

Sir Kier Starmer said Boris Johnson’s deal was “thin” and said he would hold the prime minister to account for any negative impact on the UK.

Sir Keir had faced calls from senior shadow cabinet colleagues including shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds to whip Labour MPs to abstain, in order to ensure that the blame for any negative consequences of Brexit sits firmly with the Conservatives.

The timing of the Christmas Eve deal forced politicians and officials in the UK and Brussels to tear up their plans.

EU ambassadors were briefed on the contents of the deal by Michel Barnier, who led Brussels’ negotiating team in the talks with the UK.

After a highly unusual meeting on Christmas Day – with at least one diplomat wearing a Santa hat and another in a festive jumper – they agreed to write to the European Parliament to say they intend to take a decision on the provisional application of the deal.

Boris Johnson has attempted to reassure Brexit hardliners within his own party as the government races to get approval for the post-Brexit trade deal brokered with the EU.

The PM, who has previously seen his attempts to proceed with the substance of Brexit frustrated by his own party’s MPs, and has suffered a year of infighting on coronavirus legislation, has sought to reassure his own backbenches that the accord was the “right deal” for the country.

And having been able to appease a number of high-profile Brexiteers including Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, the PM has made a particular effort to reach out to the Tory Eurosceptics whose support catapulted him into Downing Street.

The European Union and UK have both published the full text of the trade agreement.

The treaty runs to 1,255 pages.

In case you missed it on Christmas Day, we reported that industry leaders were warning that Boris Johnson had sacrificed Britain’s fishing industry to get a Brexit trade deal with the EU.

Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said there would be “frustration and anger” about the agreement reached in Brussels this afternoon, which he said contained “significant concessions”.