Katy Balls Katy Balls

European Commission rain on Theresa May’s parade

Here we go. The European Commission draft guidelines for the Brexit trade negotiations have leaked – and, as expected, it doesn’t make all that pretty reading for the British government. Although Theresa May’s Brexit speech was well-received in the UK, in Brussels many of May’s arguments and proposals appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

Speaking today, Donald Tusk has warned that it is not his priority to make Brexit a success:

‘I fully understand and respect Theresa May’s political objective to demonstrate at any price that Brexit could be a success and was the right choice. But sorry, it is not our objective.’

The main takeaways from the text, obtained by Politico, are that there can be no ‘partial participation’ – aka cherry-picking – in the single market. It warns that May’s version of Brexit will have ‘negative consequences’. It follows that any services aspect to a deal – not a given in itself – would only be included with restrictions. What the EU is more keen on, however, is zero tariffs on goods and reciprocal access to fishing waters. Also on the menu, close co-operation on defence and a deal on aviation. One could suggest that this in itself is ‘cherry-picking’.

As things stand, there is trouble ahead. Were the UK to give way on access to fishing waters, it would be seen as a red line by some Brexiteers. During the EU referendum campaign, both Michael Gove and Nigel Farage suggested the UK would take full control of its fishing waters through Brexit. It is also important for the Scottish Conservatives – and, in that vein, I understand Theresa May has given personal assurances to Cabinet colleagues that she will not ‘do a Heath’ – referring to Ted Heath’s role in signing Britain up to the Common Fisheries Policy.

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