„We are not going to be a client state. We are not going to compromise on the fundamentals of having control over our own laws,“ says chief UK negotiator trade talks with EU in @mailonSunday interview which -in Brussels- feels v much aimed at UK audience /1
This is David Frost’s first interview in UK since #Brexit on 31 January but this week will be his 8th round with EU negotiators. EU has heard his arguments many times before. In the interview Mr Frost says Brussels is struggling to accept UK as an independent sovereign state.. /2
Something EU figures always deny when I put it to them. They say what they can’t accept is UK freedom to undercut EU businesses in their own single market. That, they say, is why they’re insisting the UK sign up to agreed standards in environmental +labour regulations /3
State aid remains a major sticking point. EU waiting to hear from UK what state aid regime it plans for the future. EU says it can’t/won’t give UK tariff and quota free access to its single market without competition checks and balances. EU diplomats deny this is equivalent /4
To insisting that post #Brexit UK remain tied to Brussels’ apron strings. Contrary to what you read in many UK publications, fishing is not the main sticking point. A compromise is there to be had. With U.K. increasing its quota over time. Belief in Brussels is: /5
If UK and EU can agree state aid (plus agreement not to go below existing labour/environmental standards) then compromise on fishing, governance and other sticky issues will be found. A deal can still be done this year, believes EU but time is certainly tight /6
EU diplomats rubbish rumours in UK that EU leaders are planning to sideline their chief negotiator Michel Barnier in order to increase chances of a deal with UK. They tell me he has their ‘total confidence’. The only recent concern about Barnier amongst EU big beasts /7
Eg France and Germany was Paris getting jumpy this summer that Barnier might ‘go too far’ to try to agree a deal with UK. All very deja vu. Like last year during Brexit divorce deal negotiations, there seems to be a conviction in some UK circles that the European Commission /8
Including Barnier are the ‘bad guys’ and that Merkel and Macron are desperate to do a UK deal. In fact yes, they do v much want a deal but they are often more hardline than Barnier. Eg Merkel is obsessed with ‘integrity of single market’ /9
And that post #Brexit UK shouldn’t have same benefits as EU members. Macron is pretty hardline on fish, for example. More so than Barnier .. In conclusion, the Mail on Sunday interview is viewed by diplomats in Brussels as sabre rattling, and “unsurprising muscle flexing” /10
For a domestic UK audience ahead of the last rounds of negotiations. Especially considering that - if a deal is done- that will mean compromise on both sides. /11
