1/ Brexit talks nugget: The two sides have wrapped up negotiations on public procurement. The UK will give European companies bidding for public sector contracts 'equal treatment' to British ones and vice-versa, Michel Barnier briefed MEPs. He called it 'a very good agreement'.
2/ Throughout the talks the UK had been insisting the public procurement provisions should be based on WTO rules, but it has shifted that stance late in the day. The UK sought generous terms in this area with Japan and is doing so in talks with the US, Australia, and New Zealand.
3/ EU figures estimate public sector spending makes up about 15 per cent of GDP in most developed economies, so this is a really important issue for both sides. European firms have huge financial interests in the UK - from running rail franchises to making the new blue passports.
4/ The UK side said it wouldn't comment on the ongoing negotiations. But this is a further sign of how lots of little remaining pieces of the jigsaw are slotting into place now the talks are in their endgame. If/when things move towards a deal, they could do so very quickly.
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