Brexit talks resumed Monday, with the UK government insisting a trade deal with the EU is “there to be done” while the bloc’s chief negotiator telegraphed that deadlocked talks would be business as usual, with Europe’s red lines remaining intact.
While Boris Johnson made clear on the eve of talks resuming today that the country was ready to walk away from the European Union without a deal at the end of the year, nevertheless he was apparently keen to emphasise that the government still wanted to sign a deal if possible. Indeed, Mr Johnson said the government would “redouble efforts to reach a deal” on Sunday night.
He said: “I think it’s there to be done, the broad outlines are pretty clear… We just need to get them to do it if we can”, The Times reported.
Despite the enthusiasm, it remains clear that the EU still wants to see Britain make concessions in return for a deal, with the paper noting the bloc’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier was still calling on the UK to compromise.
This impression was fortified on Monday when Barnier took to social media to outline his programme for the week, when he wrote that there were “three keys to unlock a deal”.
While cosseted in superficially reasonable language, Barnier’s comments reveal that, ultimately, the European Union’s position has not changed. The French politician wrote that there should be “effective governance and enforcement mechanisms between international partners” — a clear reference to Britain remaining subject to Europe’s courts in case it steps out of line.
Continuing that theme was Barnier’s second ‘key’ to unlock a deal, “Robust guarantees of free and fair trade & competition based on shared high standards, evolving coherently over time”. This assertion that Britain would remain tied to European laws and standards — as well as rules on state aid — if enacted again would amount to a Brexit in name only.
Finally, the Brexit negotiation leader said “reciprocal access” to fishing was required for a deal. This remains one of the key points of friction between the United Kingdom and the European Union; EU ships have enjoyed major fishing access to UK waters for decades and are reluctant to give up this perk when Brexit is finally enacted. Remarkably, European boats land more than 60 per cent of the catch in the rich fishing waters around the UK.
Brexit leader Nigel Farage has called Britain regaining full access to those waters the “acid test” of Brexit and the government will fear being held to account by Brexiteers if it fails to deliver on that totemic area.