We can end Brexit deadlock vows PM after crunch talks
HOPES were high last night that Brexit talks will move on to a trade deal in December after Theresa May held discussions with the key players in Brussels.
Both the Prime Minister and European Council President Donald Tusk said that progress has been made and they were optimistic that the deadlock could be broken next month.
Their comments came after Mrs May reportedly agreed to increase the divorce bill offer to around £40billion in the hope that this will be enough to move the negotiations on to phase two of the trade talks.
Mrs May held meetings with Mr Tusk and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of a Brussels summit to discuss security yesterday.
As she left the gathering, Mrs May said: “There are still issues across the various matters we are negotiating on to be resolved but there has been a very positive atmosphere in the talks and a genuine feeling that we want to move forward together.”
Meanwhile, Mr Tusk said it was “possible” sufficient progress could be made at next month’s European Council summit but a “huge challenge” remained for Mrs May’s Government.
“We need to see progress from the UK within 10 days on all issues, including on Ireland,” he said.
Next month’s European Council summit will be crucial in deciding whether enough progress has been made to start talking about trade.
If this does not happen it is widely expected Mrs May will walk out and start preparing for a no deal Brexit which many experts believe will be better for the UK in the long term.
There are fears that Brexit negotiations have been threatened by the Irish government’s concerns that not enough progress has been made over the border with Northern Ireland.
A No 10 spokesman said that the UK continued to look for “an innovative
‘BIASED’ GROWTH FIGURES
A FORMER adviser to Margaret Thatcher accused the organisation which makes predictions on the economy of becoming a weapon of Remainers against Brexit.
Professor Patrick Minford, chairman of Economists for Free Trade, questioned data used by the Office for Budget Responsibility, created by former chancellor George Osborne, architect of Project Fear.
Writing for express.co.uk, Prof Minford said the OBR has lost its reputation for respected neutrality after downgrading Britain’s growth forecasts.
He said it may give a gloomy picture just as Brexit is about to deliver prosperity, adding: “How ironic if the OBR has shot us, the Chancellor, and itself in the foot as the cavalry was coming over the hill!” way forward” on the issue. Asked whether Northern Ireland could remain in the customs union following Brexit, the spokesman said: “That is a matter for negotiations.”
Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov, who is currently chairing EU meetings, warned he personally fears the impasse means that there will be no deal.
He said: “Regrettably, this possibility is more and more mentioned, that there would be no agreement.”
A poll by Kantar has suggested that most British voters believe that leaving the EU and trading on World Trade Organisation rules following a no deal Brexit is the most likely outcome after months of foot-dragging by the EU.
The discussions came amid reports that Environment Secretary Michael Gove has won a battle in the Cabinet to allow the UK to drop EU regulations and forge its own path after Britain’s departure in March 2019.
This is a slap in the face to Brussels’ chief negotiator Michel Barnier who has pressured Britain to shadow EU rules in exchange for a free trade deal.