Thread by @pmdfoster

So what did @eucopresident say to @campaignforleo at their meeting today?

Yesterday @simoncoveney was talking "flexibility". /1

@eucopresident @campaignforleo @simoncoveney Then this morning, the FT reported that Ireland was prepared to back British proposal for all-UK customs arrangement on the backstop /2

@eucopresident @campaignforleo @simoncoveney This wasn't surprising. Always been Dublin ambition, but clearly they need to balance need to preserve UK-IE trade, with being good EU27 citizens and defending integrity of single market.

The Irish FT briefing was seen as a sign of helpfulness on UK side.

Then today...

/3

@eucopresident @campaignforleo @simoncoveney Varadkar & Tusk get together, and the tone is suddenly shifted back again.

- All UK on customs for backstop seems unlikely

- NI aligning with SM via devolution not possible

And... /4

@eucopresident @campaignforleo @simoncoveney And Donald Tusk giving hunt both barrels and reiterating "Canada +++" - ie a border in the Irish Sea, in the light of the above.

consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press…

@eucopresident @campaignforleo @simoncoveney Read carefully, neither totally rules out UK new proposal (which has yet to be delivered) but the noises are not that encouraging.

As I wrote this AM, the UK is preparing a much fuller offer, including accepting that UK will NOT access SM via the backstop. /6

@eucopresident @campaignforleo @simoncoveney If that is where final UK offer lands, it would address key EU red line.

But they way @eucopresident went at it today, you wonder if Dublin is getting outflanked by Brussels here.

What this space. ENDS