DRAMAS AND DELAYS AS THE BRUSSELS TALKS BEGIN

SEATED in his Brussels lair the top Brexit streetfighter sips his coffee from a mug bearing the slogan: “Keep calm and negotiate.” Michel Barnier is determined to show his readiness for the battle that is about to begin.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator is due to go up against Cabinet minister David Davis in the first round of the crunch talks on Britain’s future on Monday. And while the Frenchman radiates Gallic nonchalance, most other Eurocrats are shrieking about how time is running out for the UK to secure a deal for life outside the bloc. Floppy-haired liberal Guy Verhofstadt, another member of Mr Barnier’s negotiating team, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, have been among those sounding the alarm about the timescale for the two-year Article 50 departure process that begins in earnest next week.

They are doing their utmost to whip up an atmosphere of high drama and concoct the impression that Theresa May’s minority Government, still in the process of finalising parliamentary support, will be too weak to negotiate a Brexit deal.

Their histrionics are likely to be soon shown as out of step with the prosaic nature of the talks in the coming days.

Diplomatic insiders say the initial engagements will amount to little more than “talks about talks” focusing on details of the mechanics of negotiations such as venues and which language is to be used. No genuine wrestling over substantive issues is expected much before October.

Even then, diplomats are braced for more delay and circumlocution. Whitehall insiders suspect a plot is being dreamt up in Brussels to come up with reasons for lengthening the two-year negotiation process. “Some people in Brussels seem to think there is still a chance the British will get cold feet about Brexit,” one source close to the process told me. “By stretching things out they reckon they might be able to even stop it happening.”

True believers in European integration have always been convinced history is on their side, unlimited patience is seen as their most dangerous weapon.

David Davis should not be surprised if his negotiating opponents attempt to slink away into the long grass of bureaucratic delay.