Thread by @pmdfoster

In Ireland for a two day #brexit download.

Michel Barnier already trowelling it on a bit thick with the EU family stuff... no doubt the Greeks feel that warm glow; and Mr Macron as he does his Eurozone reboot. Nord Stream II anyone?

Barnier goes on to say that the EU has so far “not received any workable solutions” so is sticking to the backstop as drafted.

That’s a goods border in Irish Sea and turning Northern Ireland into a regulatory enclave of the EU. /2

U.K. sources clear this cannot fly.

We saw what happened in Dec. DUP went ballistic and Sturgeon piled in.

So what are solutions? /3

This reminds me of July last year when EU were demanding full ECJ jurisdiction over EU Citizens’ Rights.

I asked Barnier in presser if he could name a single country in the world that would subject itself to the jurisdiction of a foreign court. He could not. /4

So a deal was done. U.K. wrote the Citizens piece directly into U.K. law (to give it visibility) while paying “due regard”) to ECJ judgments where they impacted law that underpins those rights.

An 80:20 fold by U.K., in EU favour. /5

So question now - all the grandstanding aside - is what an 80-20 fold looks like, when it comes to making the “backstop” protocol acceptable to U.K.

Recalling as Barnier says that it’s the only operational text in the deal in Oct. /6

Hopefully the next 48 hours will provide insight - and not just arm twisting and wishful thinking on EU side that the backstop is doable.

I don’t think it is, even if Commission argues its “only” a goods border.

Let’s see. ENDS