BIG gun Boris Johnson will sprint to Brussels for dinner tonight as he makes an attempt to salvage a Brexit deal by New Yr.
Colleagues concern the Prime Minister will probably be served up a grim “menu of climb downs” by EU boss Ursula von der Leyen if he desires to kickstart deadlocked talks.
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Boris Johnson is heading to Brussels as Brexit talks enter remaining spherical earlier than Christmas
Yesterday, Mr Johnson vowed to push talks “to the wire” – hinting they might nonetheless be going at Christmas however admitted it will be “difficult.”
And a public spat broke out between EU chiefs about how lengthy the negotiations might go.
Any deal have to be signed and backed by each Westminster and the EU Parliament earlier than 31 December, sparking fears of weeks of festive backwards and forwards.
Right now, Britain’s chief negotiator David Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier drew up an inventory of excellent areas of disagreement over fishing, crimson tape and state backed subsidies for companies.
However one cupboard minister instructed The Solar the stark checklist would assist Brussels pressure the PM to make “a variety of disagreeable selections” with the intention to maintain the flagging talks alive and keep away from No Deal chaos.
‘HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL’
The PM warned he was already on the “restrict” on what he might settle for as a Brexit deal and will but “draw stumps’ if there isn’t any progress tonight.
“Our mates have simply acquired to grasp the UK has left the EU so as to have the ability to train democratic management over the way in which we do issues,” he added.
“There may be additionally the difficulty of fisheries the place we’re nonetheless a great distance aside nonetheless. However hope springs everlasting, I’ll do my finest to kind it out if we are able to.”
Tonight, hopes of a breakthrough had been bolstered by the UK lastly agreeing to drop a menace to tear up final 12 months’s divorce deal in a row over Northern Eire.
Either side backed down on a weird row over blocking imports and exports of cold meat between Eire and Northern Eire dubbed the “banger warfare”.
Brussels additionally dropped calls for for an EU Embassy in Belfast perpetually to supervise Euro officers who will probably be allowed to roam Ulster ensuring guidelines are saved.
Michal Gove this night branded Maroš Šefčovič “the sausage king of Brussels” as they shook on tied up unfastened ends from final 12 months’s exit deal.
In the meantime sources say a rift has opened up between two key EU chiefs over how far to maneuver to get a cope with Britain.
Prime negotiator Barnier and von der Leyen are embroiled in an influence battle for management of the negotiations.
Inside splits have emerged throughout the bloc over strategy the Brexit endgame.
Mrs von der Leyen, who’s near German chief Angela Merkel, has been taking an more and more hands-on function within the talks.
However some Member States concern she’s going too gentle on Britain and are attempting to bolster Mr Barnier’s place as their fundamental man.
Colleagues concern the Prime Minister will probably be served up a grim “menu of climb downs” by EU boss Urseula von der LeyenCredit score: Getty Pictures – Getty
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