EU officials have warned Brexit talks may be “going backwards” after a row over UK secrecy and an underwhelming meeting between Stephen Barclay and Michael Barnier yesterday.
It coincided with Boris Johnson’s self-imposed “blistering timetable” of 30 days to find an answer to the Irish backstop conundrum passing without any new concrete ideas from him.
Hopes of a breakthrough briefly rose on Thursday after European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said a deal was possible and he had no special attachment to the current backstop if others way were found to deliver the same safeguards.
But events in Brussels suggested that had been a glimmer of false hope.
It emerged that the UK government had asked the EU’s negotiating team not to share three long-awaited discussion documents with diplomats from other EU 27 states.
As that would hamstring the negotiations, the EU reminded the UK about the need for “transparency”.
EU sources were also reported to have been dismayed that some ideas had been previously rejected, with the package said to lack the “essential elements” of a potential deal.
Ireland’s deputy PM Simon Coveney said there was a “wide gap” between the UK and EU, with Brussels “still waiting for serious proposals” from Mr Johnson’s team.
A meeting between the Brexit Secretary and the EU’s chief negotiator also seemed to produce little new.
Mr Barnier said it had been “cordial” but “lots of work has to be done in the next few days”.
He said: “Very clearly, we are always ready to examine, on an objective base, any proposals.
“But these proposals of the UK must reach all the objectives of the backstop – protect peace in Ireland, protect the all-Ireland economy and protect the consumers and businesses in the EU single market.”
Mr Barclay said: “There is still a lot of work to do but there is a common purpose to secure a deal,” adding the two sides had been “getting into the detail” and more “technical” discussions would happen next week.
Mr Johnson is also due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in New York next week at the UN’s Climate Action Summit.
On the eve of her party’s conference, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry last night said Labour should Labour should consider voting for a Boris Johnson Brexit deal - but on condition it was put to the country in a referendum.
It also emerged yesterday that Police Scotland’s Brexit-related spending to date had topped £8m.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McAerthur said it was a “mind-boggling sum”.
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