What does it mean "to go the extra mile"? That's the distance Boris Johnson and the European Commission chief have promised to travel over next days. Will the road take them to deal or no-deal? And who will compromise on what to get there? #Brexit /1

EU contacts close to the talks say both sides are being constructive. They insist negotiations aren't simply continuing because neither the EU, nor the government want to be blamed in a no-deal scenario and prefer not to walk away first. /2

EU is clear: No deal is a big deal. It would have a dramatic impact on livelihoods both sides of the Channel . As long as talks aren't going backwards, Brussels says it would be “irresponsible” not to go for it in talks /3

Both sides note tentative progress on the 3 main remaining sticking points. They say political intervention is still be needed. On fishing, EU whispers suggest a kick-can-down-road fudged compromise might be found (though not settled yet), involving considerable EU concessions /4

The governance of the overall deal is being worked on in detail. V broad brushstroke: what actions could be slapped with which sanctions, and who decides. Competition regulations - aka the level playing field - are still a big issue /5

And what are we to make of the prime minister sounding a whole lot gloomier on Sunday about the prospects of a deal, than the European Commission, carrying out the negotiations on the EU's behalf?
Remember: what's said in front of the cameras is only part of the picture. /6

We aren't behind the scenes in negotiating room or on closed calls between Mr Johnson and the EU Commission Chief. There will have to be trade-offs between the two sides but ultimately neither the government, nor the EU, will sign up to a deal they can't claim as a victory. /7

For the PM, that means being able to say the deal respects post-Brexit national sovereignty; that it allows the UK to make and take its own decisions. And that the U.K. refused to sign a new ‘Brussels rule book’. /8

Brussels wants to be able to confidently reassure the 27 EU leaders that the deal protects the single market and European businesses in it from what they feared could be unfair UK competition /9

The EU assumption - if there is a deal - is that many in the UK will want to trumpet what one Brussels insider called "a Great British Victory" and to point to EU concessions, real or alleged. /10

“If that narrative helps get a deal over the line in the UK, then it's worth it," is the EU attitude. In Brussels I’m told: “Few Europeans are paying attention to the Brexit process anymore. We don't care about PR. We care about protecting our interests, deal or no-deal." /11

That last sentiment, of course, is one loudly expressed by the UK government too./12