THE SNP have hit out at the Prime Minister for taking Scotland closer to a No-Deal Brexit by refusing to extend the negotiation period.

Ian Blackford took to Twitter to criticise Boris Johnson after the EU’s chief negotiator said there has been no real progress made in post-Brexit trade talks and accused the UK of backtracking on a key commitment.

The SNP leader at Westminster said: “Michel Barnier made it clear to me in a letter that a transition extension is still on the table.

“It would be madness [not] to take it, it would be madness not to protect jobs.”

Barnier said at the end of the fourth round of negotiations that the UK team had continually sought "to distance themselves" from the political declaration agreed by Boris Johnson.

David Frost, Barnier's British counterpart, acknowledged there had been only "limited" progress in the talks, which were the final ones before a potentially make-or-break high-level summit later this month.

And Frost conceded that they are "close to reaching the limits" of anything achievable by the remote formal rounds of talks, which are taking place virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Barnier said "the door is still open" for the UK to seek an extension to the current transition period before the end of June to allow more time for discussions, but the Prime Minister has vowed not to extend this.

The EU's negotiator told a Brussels press conference: "My responsibility is to speak the truth and to tell the truth this week there have been no significant areas of progress."

On the key area of fisheries, he said the UK has "not shown any true will" to explore compromises.

And he said both sides were still "very far" from reaching agreement on the level playing field, nuclear safety, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism funding, and an "overarching institutional framework" for the future relationship.

In a statement, Frost said: "Progress remains limited but our talks have been positive in tone. Negotiations will continue and we remain committed to a successful outcome.

"We are now at an important moment for these talks. We are close to reaching the limits of what we can achieve through the format of remote formal rounds.

"If we are to make progress, it is clear that we must intensify and accelerate our work. We are discussing with the commission how this can best be done.

There is mounting concern among business – already hit hard by the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic – at the prospect of a "cliff-edge" break to the UK's remaining access to the EU single market with no new deal to replace it.