Brussels breakthrough
the early hours in a desperate push to avoid missing the deadline for securing the agreement before the EU Council summit next Thursday.
They sought to finalise key agreements on the divorce bill, the future of the Northern Ireland border and the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and British expatriates on the continent to ensure the summit will accept “sufficient progress” has been made to advance to trade talks.
In the early hours of yesterday, officials on both sides had found enough agreement for the Prime Minister to head to Brussels to agree a joint document with Mr Juncker.
Having grabbed “a couple of hours” sleep, Mrs May left Downing Street at 3.45am for RAF Northolt.
She was flown, along with EU Exit Secretary David Davis, by RAF jet of the Royal Flight, to Brussels for breakfast with Mr Juncker and his aides at the European Commission’s Berlaymont building headquarters.
At 6.06am Mr Juncker’s chief of staff Martin Selmayr signalled that a deal had been concluded, by tweeting a picture of white smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel – the traditional means of announcing that a new Pope has been chosen.
Half an hour later, Mrs May and Mr Juncker appeared side-by-side at a hastily arranged news conference to announce their agreement.
The Prime Minister said: “We’ve been working extremely hard this week and as you’ve all seen it hasn’t been easy for either side.” She added: “I very much welcome the prospect of moving ahead to the next phase, to talk about trade and security and to discuss the positive and ambitious future relationship that is in all of our interests.
“I have consistently said that we will build a deep and special partnership with the EU as we implement the decision of the British people to leave at the end of March 2019.”
Mr Juncker said Brexit was a “sad” development. He added: “Now we must start looking to the future, a future in which the UK will remain a close friend and ally.” He and Mrs May shared “a joint vision of a deep and close partnership”, he said.
EU Council president Donald Tusk confirmed he has sent the 27 EU countries proposed guidelines for a new mandate for chief negotiator Michel Barnier to begin discussions on the transition period, as well as “exploratory talks” on the trade relationship.
In a sign of more bitter wrangling to come, Mr Tusk called for “more clarity” from the UK over its hopes for future trade relations and warned: “The most difficult challenge is still ahead.”