I’m not very optimistic, says fed-up Juncker

JEAN-Claude Juncker cast serious doubt over Brexit talks yesterday as negotiations were suspended until next week.

The European Commission chief said he was ‘not very optimistic’ about reaching a deal, while the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier described talks as ‘deadlocked’.

The comments came just hours before Attorney General Geoffrey Cox and Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay arrived in Brussels for the second time this week for more talks. Speculation had grown that both sides were close to breaking the impasse surrounding the Irish border backstop, with Theresa May also meeting Mr Juncker on Wednesday night.

But within moments of Mr Cox and Mr Barclay leaving Brussels, an EU official confirmed talks were being postponed.

They said yesterday’s meeting had been ‘part of the ongoing process’ of trying to achieve a breakthrough and that ‘further meetings will be held next week’. A senior British official said it was now unlikely that a deal would be reached early next week, as originally hoped.

A statement from the Department for Exiting the European Union said it was still the Government’s position that changes to the backstop must be secured with a reopening of the Withdrawal Treaty – something Brussels has repeatedly ruled out.

Talks will now focus on ‘guarantees relating to the backstop that underline its temporary nature and give appropriate legal assurance to both sides’. Earlier in the day, Mr Juncker said he was suffering from ‘Brexit fatigue’ and blamed turmoil in Westminster for his gloomy forecast.

Britain will lose the benefits of free trade agreements with Japan and Turkey if there is a No Deal Brexit, officials say.

A scramble is under way to ensure the UK can still benefit from trade deals which the EU has signed with 40 countries.

But the Department for International Trade admits partnerships with Japan, Turkey and Algeria are unlikely to be signed.

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