Thread by @Usherwood

A couple of points on issue connection at this week's #EUCO

1/

Brexit is on the agenda, but right down the list, as EU has plenty of other stuff to deal with.

Info here: consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/eu…

2/

That other stuff is proving problematic, and pressingly so, so expect it to take up much of the bandwidth tomorrow and Fri

3/

Chuck in the way EU27 are handling Brexit issues: ie at arm's length

https://twitter.com/Usherwood/status/1011520635468730373

4/

And you have a recipe that points to the UK being on the edge of things again

5/

That's not intrinsically a problem, since EU already expecting nothing substantive from UK until the WP next month

6/

However, it is the last opportunity to press the flesh with EU leaders before the summer break, so probably useful to indicate strength of intent to unblock matters

7/

Dilemma for May is that EU now needs substance, which is precisely not what she can offer right now

8/

One option is to show good-will in helping with other issues (migration, security & defence, etc.) to highlight continuing relationship

9/

Failing that, the priority is keeping the show on the road and now provoking any immediate rows

10/

Which sounds like fun

11/

One tweet take: EU has other things to deal with; UK might usefully take note of these

/end