Brexit alarm as ‘UK will get only 60% of demands from EU’
BREXITEERS have warned Britain must not cave into Brussels after claims only 60 per cent of the UK’s demands will be met in trade talks.
Chief negotiator David Frost is said to have privately insisted we will get a deal on future relations and progress is being made.
But Eurosceptics warned that the UK must not back down on key sticking points in the final weeks of negotiations.
Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said only realising 60 per cent of our demands would not be a good outcome. He said: “I can’t see how we can give so much.
“The majority of the items that we disagree on and are causing the stumbling blocks, no sovereign nation could ever agree to. They are not reasonable demands.
“The EU is not treating the UK as an independent sovereign nation, it is acting as if we are still a member of the EU.”
He insisted, however, that Mr Frost has been a tough negotiator for Britain and has been “consistent and firm” in his approach with Brussels.
Mr Bridgen added: “Why would he change now?”
A Conservative Party source told a Sunday newspaper that Mr Frost’s view “seems to be that we will get a deal but he doesn’t seem to be completely thrilled with what it is likely to be”. The source added: “When people hear that we are getting 60 per cent of what we want, the question on everyone’s lips is: ‘What is the 40 per cent we are giving away?’ ” Negotiations broke down last week with both sides saying they were still some way off reaching agreement. The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said a deal looked “at this point unlikely” as the two sides continued to clash over fishing rights and rules over trade competition.
Mr Frost insisted that “considerable gaps” remained on the issues but a deal was still possible.
Some informal discussions are expected to continue this week before another round of official talks begin again next month in Brussels.
Mr Frost said fishing and so-called level playing field rules that would keep the UK tied to the EU remain the “most difficult areas”.
The Government wanted a deal struck this summer.
But, realistically, it is now looking at September.
Whitehall sources have claimed the EU’s approach to the negotiations had led to “paralysis” and said it must be more willing to adapt to allow progress to be made.
Brussels is accused of dragging its feet in the talks by refusing to allow more straightforward issues to be agreed first.
A source said: “What’s needed is internal reflection on the EU side on whether what they’re asking us is consistent with our status as an independent country.”