Newly appointed Brexit secretary Dominic Raab today claimed that "80 per cent" of the EU withdrawal agreement had already been agreed.
Ahead of talks with Michel Barnier to discuss the recently published Brexit White paper on Thursday, Raab also called on EU negotiators to match the UK's "energy ambition and pragmatism" as he outlined his plan to get an agreement settled "in October".
"I've been out to see Michel Barnier to take stock and we have got 80 per cent of the withdrawal agreement settled," he told the BBC. "I'm going back out on Thursday because on the future relationship and our White paper they have questions on it.
"But if the energy, ambition and pragmatism that we're going to bring to these negotiations is reciprocated, we can get a deal done in October."
Read more: Brexit: Barnier kills customs plan – but opens door on backstop
No deal preparations
But Raab admitted that measures needed to be put in place to safeguard against the possibility of no deal being reached, although he was vague on exactly what progress had been made on preparations .
I'm striving every sinew with the department and Michel Barnier to get the best deal," he continued. "But it's the responsible thing to do that we are prepared for the energy, ambition and pragmatism we're showing to not be reciprocated.
"Whether it's the allocation of money, preparation of our treaty relations, or hiring extra more border staff, people need to know we're ready so that Britain can thrive whatever happens."
Raab also slammed "hair raising" media reports the government was stockpiling food to prepare for the case of a no-deal Brexit.
"That kind of selective snippet that makes it into the media is unhelpful," he said. "We're making sure both in the allocation of money, through operational things like hiring border staff and through legal arrangements, that we're ready for any and every eventuality.
"We will gradually and responsibly set out more of the detail of that through technical notices."
Read more: Raab wins over businesses groups in first Brexit secretary meeting
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