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Jennifer Rankin
@JenniferMerode
, 6 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
Brexit latest: Theresa May was ready to sign off a text with Jean-Claude Juncker on Sunday night, but was overruled by London, EU ambassadors were told earlier.
The PM was ready to agree to what Michel Barnier proposed on Friday on arbitration assurances, not the revised backstop, but was overruled by London. EU sources *think* this was Geoffrey Cox, but not certain.
Deal was off at 8.30 last night.
Senior EU sources said in amb meeting that if British MPs decided to vote for the impossible, then they would be choosing no-deal.
"If you vote for something that is not on the table... it would be a vote for no-deal," one EU diplomat tells me.
Michel Barnier was indignant about Geoffrey Cox's claim in @DailyMailUK iv that UK could trigger backstop arbitration mechanism on day one. He read out this part of the interview to ambassadors. Seen as lack of good faith on UK side.
And the link is here.
dailymail.co.uk/debate/article…
It was the Mail on Sunday - thanks @MrHarryCole
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Jennifer Rankin
@JenniferMerode
Rumours of meaningful vote 3 on Friday. That’s important because of the two-track extension.

If no vote in favour of WA by the end of the week - i.e. 11pm UK time 29 March - the UK falls into the 12 April deadline track.

Although reality could be messier /1
Goodbye 22 May extension?

Hard to say anything so black and white - the UK could still get an extension until 22 May if the vote passes early next week 2/
The EU really wants clarity in coming days about whether WA will pass or not, meaning a long extension, or no-deal.

So the UK will have to make its mind up about European elections very soon, if no WA /3
Read 6 tweets
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Jennifer Rankin
@JenniferMerode
Easy to miss on a day like this....

The gov has infuriated northern European allies by (as they see it) abandoning hardline stance on export of unemployment benefits - key demand of David Cameron renegotiation (remember that?)

theguardian.com/world/2019/mar…
The British ambassador is expected to vote in favour of an update to the EU’s social security regulation that would allow EU job seekers to export unemployment benefit for six months, compared with three months now.

Vote happening very soon.
Northern European countries are stunned and very disappointed:

“You could have been the ringleader of our like-minded group and that’s what makes it so awkward that you are in the company of Italy and Spain and people who love free money.”
Read 4 tweets
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Jennifer Rankin
@JenniferMerode
“I was consciously reminding myself that worse things happen all the time. People lose their jobs, factories go out of business … On the other hand it felt like a kick in the guts.”
Being a British EU official in the time of Brexit.

gu.com/p/atdq7/stw
Since 2016, the number of British officials working at the European commission has fallen by 21% to 917 people.
That is partly b/c some have taken new nationalities, but obvs numbers will continue to go down.
British were under-represented in top EU civil service jobs - something the coalition government wanted to change.

“Almost everyone has been saying that the senior level [British] officials are for the chop.”
Read 4 tweets

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katya adler
@BBCkatyaadler
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It’s true the EU has a history of blinking in the last moment BUT only in its own interest. In the Greek debt crisis the bloc chose to keep Greece in the eurozone in order (leaders thought) to better protect the whole currency 2
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Ryan Heath
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Another #Brexit #thread
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katya adler
@BBCkatyaadler
1) On talk of Theresa May coming to Brussels to see Jean Claude Juncker this week, the Commission says this will be when concrete progress has been made on content of political declaration on future relationship between EU and U.K.
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David Carretta
@davcarretta
#Brexit: Theresa May presenta le alternative dopo che il governo ha dato il suo consenso all'accordo con l'Ue.

1) Il mio accordo
2) Brexit senza accordo
3) Nessuna Brexit

Tutto come previsto.
May: l'intesa del governo è un "passo decisivo che ci permette di andare avanti e finalizzare l'accordo" con l'Ue -> abbiamo rischiato grosso

"E' una decisione che è fermamente nell'interesse nazionale" -> caos no-deal

Ci sono "di fronte giorni difficili" -> Camera dei Comuni
NIgel Farage: il peggior accordo della storia. Tutti i ministri Brexiteers si dimettano subito
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katya adler
@BBCkatyaadler
1) Get ready for a big #Brexit week this week - in Brussels and U.K.
2) European Commission decides today whether or not to delay 2 awaited publications scheduled for Wednesday appearance: paper on future EU-UK relationship and paper on stark EU intentions in case of no deal
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