Boris Johnson will redraw his Brexit bill this week to make it illegal for parliament to extend the transition period — a move that puts a ‘no deal’ Brexit back on the table (The Times £). In a move that could make a no-deal Brexit more likely, the prime minister is radically altering the EU Withdrawal Bill to prevent parliament extending the transition period beyond the end of next year (Sky News). The ban, to be included in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill tabled in parliament on Friday, will prevent the prime minister from buying extra time if trade talks are not completed within what most experts regard as an extremely tight timescale (The Independent). Senior Cabinet Minister Michael Gove insisted both the UK and the EU had “committed themselves to making sure that we have a deal” by the end of 2020 (The BBC).

Business activity suffered its sharpest downturn since 2016 before the general election, according to the purchasing managers’ index from IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (The Times £). Political uncertainty ahead of the General Election has left the economy facing its worst month for more than three years (The Daily Mail). UK business activity declined further in the run-up to the election according to a closely-watched survey - adding to fears that the economy has shrunk in the fourth quarter (Sky News). UK businesses were at their gloomiest since the aftermath of the 2016 EU referendum in the run-up to last week’s election, with political uncertainty compounding the lack of clarity over Brexit and the drag from weaker global growth. (The Financial Times £)

Footfall at British retailers has failed to kick on after Black Friday sales fuelled a surge in shoppers taking to the high street at the end of last month. (The Telegraph)

Uber is in talks to sell its food delivery business in India for about $400m as it tries to shed lossmaking operations and become profitable in 2021, according to people with knowledge of the deal. (The Financial Times £)

Boris Johnson’s new government must reform business rates immediately to save the country’s ailing high streets, the boss of pizza chain Franco Manca has said. (The Telegraph)

Retailers are offering bigger than ever pre-Christmas clothing discounts this year in an effort to win customers against a backdrop of consumer uncertainty, heavy competition and relatively mild weather (The Guardian). Sales discounts on clothing and products in the lead up to Christmas could be the biggest in almost ten years, according to one consultancy (The BBC).

A plant-based burger piled high with fixings is pictured in the investor slides for International Flavors & Fragrances’ $26.2bn deal to buy DuPont’s nutrition and biosciences business (The Financial Times £)

The FT’s Lex column writes: “Investors are turning their noses up at its latest deal, the $26.2bn purchase of DuPont’s nutrition unit. This is a pity. Like a piquant combination of spices, it should grow on them.” (The Financial Times £)

The number of hostelries has risen for the first time in years offering a lesson to other embattled sectors. “The gastropub, with its upmarket beer-battered cod, prawn linguine, and superfood salads, may have become a bit of a cliché. But it has transformed the industry, making food rather than drink the central offering.” (The Telegraph)

The owner of Caffe Nero is poised to open 80 new outlets next year. The business, which also owns Harris + Hoole, Coffee #1 and Aroma, said 40 of the new venues would be in the UK. (The Daily Mail)

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