The Future Relationship endgame is well and truly here, with an ever diminishing amount of time to wrap up an EU FTA. The latest word is that the next seven days are the most crucial to secure final agreement, in time for EU leaders to meeting next Thursday. UK sources familiar with negotiations stress to Guido that although next Thursday sounds about right, when it comes to hard deadlines “who knows”…

Taoiseach Micheál Martin was keen to stress this morning that the EU was “budging” and that “both sides have to move in all negotiations.” Talks have intensified, but have they intensified enough?