Brexit: Ursula von der Leyen says ‘path to agreement’ between UK and EU now exists – live

Good morning. Ursula von der Leyen, the European commission president, has been addressing the European parliament this morning and she was notably positive about the prospects of the UK and the EU agreeing a trade deal. There was a “path to an agreement”, she said. She told them:

As things stand I cannot tell you whether there will be a deal or not, but I can tell you that there is a path to an agreement now. The path may be very narrow, but it is there, and it is therefore our responsibility to continue trying.

The good news is that we have found a way forward on most issues, but this is now case of us being so close and yet being so far away from each other, because two issues now remain outstanding, you know them: the level playing field and the fisheries.

I will post more from her speech shortly. The Independent’s Jon Stone has posted the full quotes on Twitter.

Here is the agenda for the day.

9.30am: The ONS is due to publish figures on the prevalence of long Covid.

Morning: Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, resumes a call with the leader of the devolved administrations about the rules for Christmas.

12pm: Boris Johnson faces Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs.

12.15pm: Dr Andrew Goodall, chief executive of NHS Wales, and Judith Paget, chief executive of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, hold a Welsh government coronavirus briefing.

12.15pm: Nicola Sturgeon is expected to hold her regular Scottish government coronavirus briefing.

Ministers are also meeting today to review the tiering arrangements for England. We may get an announcement about any changes, although it could be delayed until tomorrow.

Politics Live is now doubling up as the UK coronavirus live blog and, given the way the Covid crisis eclipses everything, this will continue for the foreseeable future. But we will be covering non-Covid political stories too, like Brexit, and when they seem more important or more interesting, they will take precedence.

Here is our global coronavirus live blog.

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