ANALYSIS
DOMINIC Raab’s bold decision to set down a Brexit deadline on paper in black and white suggests an EU deal may be close – yet still not quite within reach.
Allies of the Brexit Secretary insist his indication that the agreement will be wrapped up by November 21 was more an attempt to inject some urgency into the negotiations, rather than a puff of white smoke to signal the work is all but done.
“We want Brussels to know we Macer Hall
traditional strategy of dragging business out as much as possible in order to intensify the pressure on the other side. No breakthrough over the key stumbling blocks in the negotiations has yet been found.
Oliver Robbins, the Prime Minister’s envoy, is embroiled in technical talks with EU counterparts.
Cabinet ministers admit they have little idea about what progress his team has made in recent days. “No one has a clue what Olly is up to at the moment,” one Westminster source said. Yet for all the frustrations, insiders report an increase in momentum.
In particular, a more positive mood towards clinching a deal is said to be noticeable from the Irish government about solving the riddle of keeping the border with Northern Ireland free of intrusive customs checks after Brexit.
For months, Irish premier Leo Varadkar has been taking a hard line in an attempt to play up his nationalist credentials. But in recent weeks, Dublin officials are said to have acknowledged how damaging a no-deal Brexit could be for Ireland’s agricultural exports.
Their readiness to get a deal done is likely to prove significant. More widely, fear of failure appears to be concentrating minds in Brussels.
Whether the increased momentum means that a deal is being finalised, which Theresa May will be able to sell to her Cabinet, remains to be seen.