Responding to a question tabled by the Labor Party, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove gave the House of Commons the latest update on the UK talks with the EU.

He argued the Brussels bloc has shown little flexibility during the first three rounds of the trade negotiations and urged the EU to recognize the UK as a sovereign equal in order to reach a deal, as reported by the Express.

“The government remains committed to a deal with a free trade agreement at its core,” Gove told parliament. “But success depends on the EU recognizing that the UK is a sovereign country.”There remain some areas where we have a significant difference of principle – notably on fisheries, governance arrangements and the so-called level playing field,” Gove said. He repeated that the United Kingdom would not extend the transition period, as cited in Reuters.