Thread by @pmdfoster

There are concerns - on both sides - that translating December #brexit deal on Ireland into draft legal text risks blowing up Brexit talks in March. My latest /1

telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/…

The draft text is due in Feb 28 (a date that’s already slipped several times) and understand it will cover the three options - A B C set out in Para 49 of Joint Report /2

The issue seems to be that only Option C is capable of being fleshed out in full detail - or at least that’s Brussels/Dublin contention. /3

The (real) danger for Brits is that if A and B aren’t given equal weight, it will look like C is a fair accompli and Brexiteers will go ballistic. /4

The half good news is that sources in Dublin, Berlin and Brussels say they want to help - though Brits suspect this is slightly disingenuous.

The shorter version, per EU source, is “no fudge” on Ireland beyond March - but some people “may be allowed to think so” /5

I’m not sure that’s gonna be enough.

If EU wants to create space for Options A or B to work - and at this point who knows where politics ends up on Customs Union by October - they surely mustn’t slam the door on it now. /6

I think we’re seeing COM and France/Berlin still stuck in a phase one mentality (cf the unnecessary Footnote 4 debacle on draft transition text) and talking to other Member State dips, I think there is pressure to change that approach. /7

Of course danger that dithering/deluded Brits take that as sign the EU gonna cave on core issues - don’t believe they will - but does mean that if UK cd get its sh*t together there might yet be space for belated common sense deal.

But given where U.K. politics are? Mmmm. END