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, 3 tweets, 1 min read
Why is there hope of "pathway" to a Brexit deal? Barnier told EU27:1. Boris says he wants a deal and get it through HoC. 2. UK accepts EU red line of no customs border in NI. 3 UK accepts enforcement has to be pinned down in WA (not virtual TBD solutions). 4. No Stormont veto
Negotiators will work through weekend on this basis. No new UK legal text has been submitted today. EU27 ambassadors will be briefed on the outcome of talks at 5pm on Sunday
2.5 years of Brexit history suggests deals can be done in Brussels. Can they be done in London? EU27 diplomats were not briefed on full contents of Barnier/Barclay today but many expressed their reluctance to believe Boris when he says he can get a deal through the Commons
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More from @MehreenKhn see all

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Mehreen
@MehreenKhn
🔔New: UK this weekend presented a customs plan to EU that keeps NI in the UK's customs area and will involve tracking all goods entering NI. Differential customs treatment is applied on goods from 3rd countries depending on final destination (into SM or not)
The idea sticks to UK red lines on NI not leaving UK customs territory. All entering goods initially have EU and UK status. But Barnier warned that without concrete details about how to make this plan legally operable, the EU is opening itself up to mass fraud in single market.
EU's main problems are about near impossibility of tracking final destination of goods given complexity of modern supply chains. Barnier gave example of sugar imports into NI from a 3rd country (via UK) which then end up in soft drinks that eventually enter Ireland and the SM.
Read 9 tweets
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Mehreen
@MehreenKhn
EU27 have been briefed on slightly more positive tone in Brexit talks today. Stems largely from UK indicating it can accept dynamic regulatory alignment committments on SPS in current backstop that previous gov committed to. But UK has still not laid out scope it can accept...
EU still fears the UK won't commit to alignment in enough areas that match the backstop. Bigger sticking point is still British insistence on no customs union for NI. "The UK does not yet have a solution to this problem"
EU negotiators say UK position amounts to EU bending its custom rules and "delinking customs and SPS controls". Talks continue next week. Diplomats have been told they hope Brits present "something beyond concepts".
Read 3 tweets
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Mehreen
@MehreenKhn
EU27 ambassadors have been briefed on Brexit state of play by Michel Barnier today. Still no ideas on table from Brits over the backstop. Mood towards UK turning glum in Brussels. One participant says it's v clear that EU - UK relations will be v difficult to manage from here
EU27 standing squarely behind Ireland. Any alternatives to backstop have to respect Good Friday Agreement and single market. The latter has been prompted by Boris wish to junk level playing field obligations. One diplomat says LPF is "as big a deal as backstop right now"
🚨Barnier told EU27 diplomats today that Brexit talks in a "state of paralysis". There are growing concerns over UK demands for a free trade agreement to allow divergence from EU standards. Barnier warned public mood on trade deals (CETA) meant any FTA faced ratification problems
Read 4 tweets

Related threads

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Dr Anna Jerzewska
@AnnaJerzewska
What do you do with a problematic border you wish wasn’t there? Move it inside your own country? Some thoughts on the latest ''backstop' alternative arrangements suggestions /1

ft.com/content/2301dd…
You could say this coming from the PM is more of the same "have your cake and eat it" narrative but what does "moving fluidly" actually mean? /2
With a common SPS zone +regulatory regime for industrial goods, what happens to the border?
If the UK is out of the CU+SM there is a customs border between NI and ROI. Regulatory alignment changes nothing here. /3
Read 7 tweets
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katya adler
@BBCkatyaadler
EU politicians welcome the serious tone used by PM in Dublin today when spoke of importance of making deal with EU, avoiding no deal #Brexit BUT EU contacts tell me they await a change in actions not just rhetoric /1
The PMs main #Brexit envoy, David Frost, expected back in Brussels on Weds. So far EU says he’s been discussing reducing backstop commitments rather than proposing st that could realistically replace the backstop /2
Government floated idea of all-Ireland agricultural area but EU don’t consider this a serious proposal bc only covers 30% of cross-border trade. EU will see on Weds if PM’s negotiator brings additional ideas. If not EU diplomats say it’ll be clear PM not seriously negotiating /3
Read 6 tweets
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Sydney Nash
@NashSGC
This is the most wonderfully over optimistic statement I’ve heard since someone last said to me “Palace are getting into Europe this season mate, trust me”.

thetimes.co.uk/article/a-deal…
There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Johnson is any closer to agreeing a #Brexit deal that can get through Parliament than Theresa May was. A few key points:
1. The deal (the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration) is exactly the same as it was when it was agreed almost a year ago. Every word, comma, semi-colon, & full stop is the same.
Read 15 tweets
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Peter Foster
@pmdfoster
A thought/question, oh #Brexit Twitter about what happens if the Withdrawal Agrement is voted down again next week.

How does @theresa_may get sent back to Brussels to ask for an extension she says she will not ask for? 1/Thread
@theresa_may She said: "As prime minister I could not consider a further delay beyond 30 June."

People took that to mean she would resign.

But it could also mean, she would opt for a 'no deal' (Party unity over country) over a long extension. /2
@theresa_may How could Parliament stop her?

Because if you believe EU red line on UK participating in EU elections is immovable then the deadline for that decision is April 12.

Even if May falls (she could lose a 'no confidence' vote whichever ways she breaks) she is PM for 14 days. /3
Read 8 tweets
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tony nog #FBPE
@tony_nog
1) 2 observations about David Davis comments here
1stly the really pathetic point about the no deal #Brexit leaders is that even they don't believe in no deal, its still basically the worst bluff in history, believing 27 nations will fold on a cakeism deal before we do
2) if you believe in "no deal" & WTO is "liberating" then why talk about using it as leverage to get that "better" #brexit deal?
It's the same, tired, "they need us more..." line with added idiocy (hint: if you're going to bluff, don't tell everyone)

3) secondly, why does Davis still get airtime? He's been utterly wrong on every single aspect of #Brexit.

He thought we could strike individual trade deals with Germany. He also promised "exact same benefits". He attended 4 hours of negotiations. In all honesty, he's an idiot
Read 3 tweets
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Katy Hayward
@hayward_katy
104 pages of the #Brexit #WhitePaper reduced to 10 slides.
Especially for those concerned for @BorderIrish, @BelfastAgmt,
& with more sense than time.

@DPhinnemore & I have scrutinised the WP in light of #JointReport commitments to NI/IRL & the UK's alternative #backstop.
1/10
A bit of context-setting (plus explanation of our imaginative colour coding).

The White Paper is in part an effort by UK govt to prove a NI-specific #backstop to be unnecessary. But remember Protocol for NI/IRL in the Withdrawal Agmt is abt much more than a customs border.

2/10
A reminder of where we are up to on that Protocol on NI/IRL in the draft Withdrawal Agreement.

With added stars 🌟 to identify which bits the White Paper attempts to address (or negate) most directly.

3/10
Read 11 tweets

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