Brexit trade deal by September

THE European Union and United Kingdom will agree a post-Brexit trade deal by the end of the summer, political commentator Nick de Bois predicted this week.

As face-to-face meetings between the two sides resumed this week - virtual talks have been staged during the Covid19 health emergency - the former Conservative MP said negotiations would be finished by the end of the summer or beginning of September.

He said the UK’s chief negotiator David Frost was due to take up his new position as the country’s national security advisor - and controversially replace cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwell in mid-September.

“It is all going to be over one way or the other by the beginning of September,” said Nick, who was chief of staff to Dominic Raab during the Foreign Secretary’s tenure as Secretary of State for Brexit.

He said Mr Frost was a political advisor to the government and his appointment to the ‘huge post’ had sent shockwaves through Whitehall mandarins.

“He takes up the role in mid-September; you couldn’t have a clearer indication from the British government that they will walk away or get a deal by then,” Nick added. “My prediction is they will get a deal; I think it will be a simple free trade agreement.”

Speaking on the Costa Blanca’s Bay Radio, he was asked about the seeming ‘demand after demand’ from the EU ahead of Mr Frost’s first head to head meeting with the EU’s lead negotiator Michel Barnier.

He said: “It’s the usual posturing that goes on and, unusually, there’s a bit more posturing from the EU side with Mr Barnier saying ‘we will never, ever compromise on the level playing field’.”

Nick said one part of this was agreeing the UK manufacture goods to EU standards which was ‘not unreasonable’ and left room to ‘compromise’.

But he said Mr Barnier also claimed the UK would have to follow rulings made by the European Courts of Justice over the ‘level playing field’. Nick added: “Erm, Mr Barnier, we voted against doing that and that’s not going to happen despite Mr Barnier saying ‘we will never move on this’.”

And he said Mr Barnier was also claiming the UK would have to buy 80% of its cars manufactured by EU companies. “Erm, I think we voted to leave to make those decisions ourselves; that’s where you get this posturing.