Thread by @JenniferMerode

Michel Barnier leaked recording is a great get by @joncstone but what struck me is how similar his private remarks are to the public ones.

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

In the recording Barnier says 11 months “improbable” for a global agreement, but the EU will do everything it can for the bare minimum. This is basically what he said in November...2

when he said the two sides could not do everything, but a basic free trade agreement was possible. Basic is the key word.
It sounds to me his thinking unchanged. 3.

These sound like glass-half empty comments from Barnier, as opposed to the glass half-full public statements.

But always valuable to have a dose of reality, when the #GE2019 Brexit debate has been so woeful.