Spoke to Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok today. His mother housed British soldiers during Market Garden in WW2, but he made it clear that he won't go soft on the UK over Brexit as it's a "lose-lose" scenario...
telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/…
telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/…
Stef Blok, apparently a football fan, said Brexit reminded him of a quote from the Netherlands' very own Johan Cruyff: "Each disadvantage has its advantage." And for the Dutch, it's UK firms jumping ship to Amsterdam and Rotterdam
The Netherlands will welcome any UK-based firm that decides to partially or fully move over to their turf, he said. The Netherlands is "not shy" about promoting its attractiveness to business, he said, and pointed to them being the new home of the European Medicines Agency
He also criticised the UK for a lack of clarity in its negotiation position, pointing out that the UK said a customs union was a red line but now seems poised to sign up to a customs union of sorts.
None of this will come as a surprise to No 10, which hasn't managed to break the bastion of Barnier, as the Dutch king put it yesterday. No EU member state has truly broken ranks yet to fight Britain's corner from the other side. UK once hoped the Poles or Dutch would...
Even Mr Blok's small rays of optimism - he's confident a deal will be reached - are surrounded by some very gloomy clouds. Leaving the EU, especially the single market, has consequences, he says, and not good ones.
