Thread by @Barnes_Joe

1: Boris Johnson is jetting off to see German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the G7 summit. Here are some thoughts on what Brexit messages he will try to deliver.

2: Johnson today said: 'I want a deal. We are ready to work with our friends and partners to get a deal.

'But if you want a good deal for the UK you must simultaneously get ready to come out without one.'

3: Johnson is "confident" that the EU will renegotiate the withdrawal deal, which was agreed with Theresa May last November.

4: What exactly is Johnson going to be asking for? He'll tell the EU they must 'renegotiate the deal in a way that Parliament can support', according to a UK Gov source.

5: Source adds: 'The problem with the old deal which the EU is insisting upon is that it could make the UK a rule-taker for ever. Many of our laws and taxes would be decided by EU not UK. People of Northern Ireland would have no say in rules covering swathes of their economy.'

6: Remember the EU side doesn't see the backstop as being the only issue why MPs have rejected the withdrawal agreement three times. Insight from Austria's Brexit negotiator below.

https://twitter.com/Barnes_Joe/status/1161963475314323463

7: Current EU offer to fix the backstop is through the the political declaration on the future relationship. Brussels believes Johnson can add more detail to show a clearer path to avoiding the backstop.

8: Barnier often talks about making the political declaration 'more ambitious'. Johnson looks set to reject any concept that uses single market and customs union membership to alleviate the need for the backstop.

9: UK source says: 'We do not accept the argument that says that these issues can be solved only by all or part of the UK remaining in the customs union or the single market. Other arrangements are perfectly possible and compatible with the Belfast and Good Friday Agreement.'

10: EU have said they will listen to 'concrete proposals that are compatible with the current withdrawal agreement'. But Brussels is pretty adamant that they haven't seen anything put forward by the UK yet.

11: The lack of ideas from London and Johnson's demand to scrap the backstop has made Germany believe no deal is 'highly likely', according to a finance ministry document. Merkel has been urged not to compromise as a result.

12: UK source says: 'There is abundant scope to find the solutions necessary. There are a range of measures which could be explored, which reflect the previously jointly stated aim to find flexible and creative solutions to the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland.'

13: Not exactly a plan for the EU to ponder over, but will no doubt fuel at least a little bit of hope that Johnson has at least one idea to bring back the Brexit deal.

14: Johnson will have to win back the faith of Brussels, a lot of diplomats have criticised his no deal stance as political posturing to 'preserve the Tory party'.