James Forsyth James Forsyth

Trade talks between the UK and the EU are heading to an early bust up

Britain is no longer a member of the EU. Attention now shifts to what kind of trade agreement the EU and the UK are going to come to. I say in The Sun this morning, that the two sides are currently far apart—as we’ll see when the two sides set out their positions on Monday—and the negotiations are heading for a mighty smash.

The UK thinks that the EU doesn’t realise how much has changed over the last few months. They fear that the EU has not clocked that this will be a very different negotiation because Boris Johnson has a majority in parliament and wants a free trade deal, and nothing more.

One of those involved in preparing the government for the trade negotiations with the EU says that Michel Barnier’s comments in his various recent appearance indicate that he still thinks he can get the UK to sign up to various things—such as a role for the European Court of Justice—that it simply won’t.

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in