This "sufficient progress" on phase-one negotiations on money, citizens and Ireland had been pencilled in for October, but looks increasingly likely to be delayed until December.

It means there will be less than a year for talks on the future trading relationship between the UK and EU, and another two months of the two-year Article 50 timetable being used up.

Sky sources have indicated that the challenge and timing of agreeing a new German government after federal elections at the end of September has meant a "more formal" engagement from Berlin than had been anticipated.

Some in the UK Government anticipate that a possible change in Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition partner to the liberal Free Democrats will make the Brexit negotiations easier and "more business-like" than the current Grand Coalition.

On current polling, the FDP will re-enter the Bundestag with sufficient MPs to replace the centre-left SPD of ex-European Parliament chief and arch-federalist Martin Schulz. [...]

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