JOE BARNES

EUROPEAN Union chiefs have discovered what it’s like to come up against an unflappable British Prime Minister once again.

Boris Johnson’s resolute drive to untangle the country from Brussels’ burdensome red tape is showing the first signs of success.

EU bureaucrats had hoped to keep the Government tied to their state aid regime amid fears the Prime Minister’s pledge to “level up” Britain after Brexit would leave the bloc flagging behind.

Their determination to prevent UK firms out-competing continental rivals saw Michel Barnier ordered by member states to ensure Britain “dynamically aligned” to the bloc’s rules governing state subsidies and tax breaks, with a role for the European Court of Justice to police the pact.

The so-called “level-playing field” as envisaged by Brussels would also see the country following the EU’s environmental and workers’ rights standards as the price for a free trade agreement. The hardline demands set out by European capitals, led by the French, left the EU’s chief negotiator privately uncomfortable, knowing his opening gambit would never be acceptable to a sovereign nation.

But the Frenchman’s warnings were ignored, with diplomats and officials still believing the bloc could keep Britain as a satellite state in Brussels’ regulatory orbit.

It took a direct warning from Mr Johnson to EU presidents Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel to finally convince European governments they would have to compromise or face Britain leaving with no deal on December 31.

The Prime Minister spelled out that to respect the referendum the Government needed full control over policy changes and access to Britain’s fishing grounds.

And with that the penny dropped and Mr Barnier publicly conceded the EU would need to soften its stance in order to conclude a deal.

In a recent session with French MPs, Mr Barnier said he had understood Mr Johnson’s position and that he would need to be “creative” with the mandate handed to him by Euro capitals.