Negotiators from Britain and the European Union are meeting throughout this week in another attempt to bridge their differences over the adoption of an agreement governing their future relationship.

Time is short; with Britain already out of the EU, a deal has to be in place before the end of this year, when the current transition arrangements expire, or trade links between Britain and the rest of Europe will be severely disrupted. And most of the key contentious trade questions have not even been addressed, let alone settled.