Talks near make-or-break moment

Britain yesterday readied armed Royal Navy ships to patrol its fishing waters if tempers flare after a "no-deal" Brexit as a make-or-break deadline approached for talks with the European Union. 

Four 80-metre (260-feet) vessels have been placed on standby to guard British waters from EU trawlers in case the two sides decide to abandon efforts to secure a free-trade agreement today.

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The development is part of increased contingency planning on both sides of the Channel, and evokes memories of the "Cod Wars" with Iceland over fishing rights in the North Atlantic in the 1960s and 70s.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it is "very, very likely" the talks will fail, and Britain will revert to World Trade Organization (WTO) terms with its largest single trading partner.

European leaders have also been told the chances of a deal are slim with both sides at loggerheads over rules to govern fair competition and fishing rights in British territorial waters.

Both sides have promised a decision today as to whether there is still time to close the gap in expectations before Britain leaves the EU single market at the end of the year.

Deal or no deal, Britain will leave the EU single market and customs union on the evening of December 31, more than four years after a landmark referendum on membership of the bloc.

Hardline Brexit-supporting Conservative MPs have sought assurances from Johnson that the navy should be deployed to protect British waters.

Lawmaker Daniel Kawczynski said it would help "prevent illegal French fishing" when EU access ends.

Former Tory party chairman Chris Patten voiced concerns about a "runaway train of English exceptionalism" after headlines backing the military threat in the Daily Mail -- "We'll send in gunboats" -- and Daily Express -- "Gunships to guard our fish".

"Heaven knows where it is going to take us in the end," he said, calling Johnson, whose Brexit stance has boosted support for Scottish independence and distanced Northern Irish allies, "an English nationalist".

The Ministry of Defence confirmed it has conducted "extensive planning and preparation" for a range of post-Brexit scenarios from January 1, and has 14,000 personnel on standby to help with the transition.

WTO terms would mean tariffs and quotas, driving up prices for businesses and consumers, and the re-introduction of border checks for the first time in decades.