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It was a busy night for the👩🍳👨🍳 at Her Majesty’s ambassador’s residence in Brussels last night.
The opulent residence, on Rue Ducale, was the venue for two separate but simultaneous dinners - one we knew about. The other, a curious meeting, we didn’t...[thread] /1
The opulent residence, on Rue Ducale, was the venue for two separate but simultaneous dinners - one we knew about. The other, a curious meeting, we didn’t...[thread] /1
The first of the two dinners was publicly billed - it was #Brexit Secretary @SteveBarclay’s first meeting with EU’s Chief Brexit negotiator @MichelBarnier.
It’s the consequence of @theresa_may’s return to Brussels last week for her meeting with @JunckerEU /2
It’s the consequence of @theresa_may’s return to Brussels last week for her meeting with @JunckerEU /2
This dinner was significant if only because it constitutes ‘negotiations’ of sorts between two sides who’ve not really engaged directly since before Xmas.
Remember - 🇬🇧🇪🇺 negotiating teams signed off on #Brexit Withdrawal Agreement in Dec.
The blockage since has been in 🇬🇧 /3
Remember - 🇬🇧🇪🇺 negotiating teams signed off on #Brexit Withdrawal Agreement in Dec.
The blockage since has been in 🇬🇧 /3
The guests at this dinner included @SteveBarclay @OllyRobbins from @DExEUgov and @MichelBarnier @WeyandSabine @riso_stephanie from @EU_Commission.
The host was the UK’s Permanent Representative to the EU Sir Tim Barrow. /4
The host was the UK’s Permanent Representative to the EU Sir Tim Barrow. /4
(It was a delicious meal judging by the menu... though I wonder who caught the North Sea sole - Belgian fishermen in British waters as is currently their right?😳) /5 
The key focus of the dinner was to explore ways to get the Withdrawal Agreement through Westminster despite the fact that the EU won’t reopen it or remove the backstop.
After a couple of hours, @MichelBarnier emended with a familiar message 🎥 / 6
After a couple of hours, @MichelBarnier emended with a familiar message 🎥 / 6
Mr Barnier repeated what the EU has maintained throughout: ”We aren’t going to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement”
The feeling among a critical number of MPs in Westminster, as voiced by @BorisJohnson yesterday is ‘of course they’ll say that now. But soon they’ll budge.’ /7
The feeling among a critical number of MPs in Westminster, as voiced by @BorisJohnson yesterday is ‘of course they’ll say that now. But soon they’ll budge.’ /7
The UK side released a statement on the dinner (with rather an indigestibly long first sentence!) /8
But it’s the other dinner which is interesting / curious...
At just after 7pm we spotted @FabianZuleeg walking into the 🇬🇧 with the former President of the @EUCouncil Herman Van Rompuy. /9
At just after 7pm we spotted @FabianZuleeg walking into the 🇬🇧 with the former President of the @EUCouncil Herman Van Rompuy. /9
(Twitter has reminded me of the moment, in 2011, when Mr Van Rompuy was called a low grade bank clerk - to his face - by @Nigel_Farage in the chamber of the @Europarl_EN ) /10
Anyway - what was he doing at 🇬🇧 residence in Brussels?
I’m told he was attending a separate private dinner with @theresa_may’s deputy @DLidington - a meeting Mrs May had requested to discuss changes to Irish backstop.
@10DowningStreet sees Van Rompuy as an ‘influencer’. /11
I’m told he was attending a separate private dinner with @theresa_may’s deputy @DLidington - a meeting Mrs May had requested to discuss changes to Irish backstop.
@10DowningStreet sees Van Rompuy as an ‘influencer’. /11
Remember many on this side of the channel consider @DLidington to be one of the few senior British politicians who really understands 🇪🇺.
He was @David_Cameron’s Europe Minister from 2010-2016 and is seen as a very capable politician & diplomat. /12
He was @David_Cameron’s Europe Minister from 2010-2016 and is seen as a very capable politician & diplomat. /12
When you mention @DLidington’s name in this town (Commission, Council or Parliament), people tend to speak highly of him.
That’s more than can be said for pretty much every other senior UK politician.
He also knows Mr Van Rompuy. /13
That’s more than can be said for pretty much every other senior UK politician.
He also knows Mr Van Rompuy. /13
A few months ago Mr Van Rompuy told @guardian (amp.theguardian.com/politics/2018/…) that a 🇬🇧 threat of no deal would not spook the 🇪🇺 side into moving position. Did he say the same privately at the dinner last night? /14
We don’t know how the Lidington/Van Rompuy dinner went.
But I am told that after Mr Van Rompuy left the residence, Mr Lidington switched dining rooms to catch the tail end of the @SteveBarclay @MichelBarnier dinner.
They all had ☕️ together. /15
But I am told that after Mr Van Rompuy left the residence, Mr Lidington switched dining rooms to catch the tail end of the @SteveBarclay @MichelBarnier dinner.
They all had ☕️ together. /15
.@theresa_may will tell MPs today to give her a little more time to improve the #Brexit deal. She’ll urge them not to tie her hands by forcing her to extend Article 50 thus delaying Brexit. She is using the clock and threat of ‘no deal’ to her favour for now. /16
When we look back at this painful #Brexit process we may discover that innocuous private dinners, like last night’s between Mrs May’s deputy and the former European Council President, were key moments. /17
Right now the UK needs all the ‘influencers’ it can get.
Herman Van Rompuy is one.
“Every little helps?” I said to a 🇬🇧source last night.
The anxious nod which came back said it all.
news.sky.com/story/uk-calls… /18
Herman Van Rompuy is one.
“Every little helps?” I said to a 🇬🇧source last night.
The anxious nod which came back said it all.
news.sky.com/story/uk-calls… /18
UPDATE: he denies acting as a mediator.
But 🇬🇧 is/was definitely hoping he would be useful to unlock the blockage
But 🇬🇧 is/was definitely hoping he would be useful to unlock the blockage
