Brexit deadline looms but exit deal breakthrough is nowhere in sight

THE Westminster limelight this week will be dominated by Wednesday's annual set piece budget by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond. However, it is the end-of-month "Brexit" deadline set by the EU that is dominating the backstage of UK politics.

At stake is whether second phase Brexit talks on the future UK-EU relationship can begin after the mid-December European Council meeting of national presidents and prime ministers. Or, if not, potentially be kicked out several months into 2018.

This decision on whether sufficient progress has been made in the first phase divorce talks is one for European decision-makers alone to make, underlining the in-built strengths of the EU's position in the two-year Article 50 process. If a breakthrough does not happen before mid-December - as now seems increasingly possible - prospects increase of no final deal, and a hard and potentially disorderly Brexit.