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1: EU27 ambassadors agreed that Michel Barnier should ‘sound out Steve Barclay on whether this is a serious negotiation or a tactical document ahead of a general election’ during a meeting this evening.
2: UK and EU won’t enter into a negotiating tunnel until Barnier can ‘bridge this gap’, according to a diplomat.
3: Current UK proposals for giving Northern Ireland consent and on customs are a ‘serious no-go’ as it stands for the EU.
4: Barnier told senior diplomats that the biggest problem is the customs border on the island of Ireland, which he says will lead to checks and disrupt the all-island economy.
5: Barnier says plan to offer a Stormont lock simply hands a veto over the backstop to one party in Northern Ireland whether to align or not to EU rules.
6: EU will wait to see whether UK to evolve its position but one source made clear: ‘science fiction can not be part of the withdrawal agreement.’ Basically alluding that nothing must be left unresolved going into the transition period.
