HOTLINE TO A BREXIT DEAL
Johnson and EU chief in regular secret calls as they try to nail down a compromise on fishing
BREXIT negotiators are making a ‘final push’ for a deal today as they close in on a compromise over fishing.
Government sources confirmed that Boris Johnson has established a ‘hotline’ to European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen as the two sides try to thrash out a deal before Christmas.
The pair are understood to have held regular secret phone calls in the last 48 hours.
Mrs von der Leyen is also said to have established back channels to German Chancellor Angela Merkel – the EU’s powerbroker – and
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is seen in Downing Street as the main obstacle to a deal. Diplomatic sources said the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier had not even been aware of the content of secret talks between the Prime Minister and Mrs von der Leyen on Monday night – suggesting he is becoming increasingly sidelined in the final days of negotiations.
In a bid to break the deadlock, the Prime Minister’s chief negotiator David Frost has tabled a new offer on fishing that would allow EU trawlers to keep more of the fish they currently catch in UK waters.
Mr Barnier yesterday told EU ambassadors that the offer was ‘unacceptable’. But Mrs von der Leyen is said to be leaning on Mr Macron and the leaders of other coastal states to accept the deal.
Arriving for the meeting with EU ambassadors yesterday, Mr Barnier told reporters: ‘ We are really i n a crucial moment and we are giving it a final push. In ten days, the UK will leave the single market.’
According to a diplomatic note seen by the Mail, Mr Barnier later told MEPs that a compromise on fishing would have to be decided by political leaders.
‘We haven’t reached an agreement on fisheries, despite the talks,’ he said. ‘There are subjects that I can’t resolve – only a few which are very
‘A lot of back and forth’
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political and very sensitive matters – but I can’t resolve them at my level.
‘It is normal at this stage that there are subjects that need to be dealt with by President von der Leyen at her level with Boris Johnson.’
The Prime Minister has told allies that he has made significant compromises in recent days, including on fishing. But he has warned that he will not go further without movement from the EU. ‘If Macron digs his heels in then there will be no deal,’ said one source.
Differences are also said to remain on the issue of state subsidies, where the EU is still pushing demands which British negotiators describe as ‘unbalanced’. Brussels wants the right to penalise the UK if it uses subsidies to enable British firms to undercut EU rivals. But it is so far refusing to accept the same arrangements for unfair EU subsidies.
Reports claimed that the latest British offer on fishing would involve the EU sacrificing around 35 per cent of its share of quota in UK waters over a five-year period.
It is a big compromise on Lord Frost’s original demand that the EU hand back 60 per cent over three years. But it is much more than Mr Barnier’s offer to hand back just 15 per cent over ten years.
Downing Street disputed the precise details of the reported offer yesterday, but acknowledged there was ‘a lot of back and forth’ on fishing. At one point, officials believed there was a chance of a major breakthrough yesterday afternoon.
But sources last night said talks looked set to continue, possibly right
up to December 31, when the Brexit transition ends. One insider suggested there could even be a deal struck on Christmas Day.
Mr Barnier yesterday said talks could continue to ‘the end of the year and beyond’.
But UK sources said the PM had ruled out continuing negotiations beyond the end of this year. A British official said: ‘We’ve clearly set out the reasons that we will not extend the transition period. It would bind us into future EU legislation, without us having any say in designing it, but still having to foot the bill.
‘We need to provide certainty to our citizens and businesses as soon as possible.’ Mr Barnier confirmed to MEPs he had made a ‘final offer’ at the weekend to hand back 25 per cent of quota. He said the latest UK proposal was ‘very far from that’.
Eurosceptic Tories underlined the narrow room for compromise Mr Johnson enjoys as he tries to secure a deal that would avoid the imposition of tariffs on January 1.
Former Brexit minister David Jones last night urged the PM not to make binding concessions that would prevent the British fishing industry reclaiming its waters in future.
He said: ‘Our fisheries are a huge national resource… which has the potential to support many thousands of jobs.’
Former environment secretary Owen Paterson said ‘taking back full control of our waters’ was a symbol of whether ‘we run our own country or not’.
‘We need to provide certainty’
LOCKDOWN made us virtual prisoners in our own homes when it was imposed back in March.
Now, after nine arduous months, it seems we’re heading back to square one.
Level 4 restrictions were already tough, shutting down ‘non-essential’ shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.
The Covid mutation means the First Minister believes they may need to be made even stricter.
Much of Scotland only just escaped the dreaded top tier a matter of days ago.
From December 26, mainland Scotland will be plunged into the highest level of lockdown – and the ‘stay at home’ message could be enshrined in law.
Adding to the misery, homeware stores and gardening centres will be out of bounds from Boxing Day.
The repercussions for the economy are immense, crushing any imminent prospect of recovery.
It’s extraordinary to reflect that just a few days ago, many of us were preparing for family reunions over Christmas. True, they’d be strictly controlled, with social distancing and rigorous hand-washing, and a cap on the number of guests.
But Saturday’s monumental U-turn rendered this impossible, except for December 25 – and even then indoor visits are heavily discouraged.
Hope is in short supply at a moment when it’s desperately needed, and worst of all there’s a sense that our sacrifice so far was all for nothing.
The strategy of Covid tiers, recognising regional differences i n coronavirus prevalence, is in tatters.
Disruption at Dover, turning parts of Kent into a lorry-park – a crisis that was thankfully resolved last night – and fears of stockpiling all work to fuel the sense of mounting chaos.
But all crises require clear heads – and ministers on both sides of the Border have not helped by entering panic mode.
We cannot underestimate the seriousness of the new Covid strain – but equally, we as yet know very little about its exact modus operandi.
On the strength of that limited evidence base, prolonged school closures are again on the horizon – threatening educational harm and childcare turmoil.
And we’re hurtling back into a period of national paralysis that will cost jobs and increase social isolation.
Amid the gloom, it’s also easy to forget that the Covid vaccine is already being rolled out – and holds the key to freeing us from this purgatory.
We’ve shown we have the resilience needed to cope with the pandemic, and together we’ll get through the difficult months ahead.
In the meantime, is it too much to ask that our leaders – like the rest of us – keep calm and carry on?