Brussels chief warns of ‘consequences’ if Britain abandons EU rules

Britain cannot expect the “highest quality access” to EU markets if it abandons Brussels rules after Brexit, the president of the European Commission has warned. Ursula von der Leyen said talks on a free trade deal after Britain leaves the EU at the end of January would be “tough”, with both sides seeking to protect their own interests. She said Boris Johnson’s insistence that there could be no extension of the transition period beyond the end of 2020 meant there was a limit to what could be agreed before the UK’s final break with the EU. Speaking ahead of her first...