Barnier says Brexit deal ‘very difficult’
The EU’s chief negotiator has said a Brexit deal is now “very difficult, but possible” following a dramatic day of negative briefing against Brussels.
Michel Barnier told reporters this morning that a deal before the 31 October deadline was looking unlikely, echoing comments made by Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and new president of the European Parliament David Sassoli yesterday.
Varadkar told Irish broadcaster it would be “very difficult” to strike a deal this side of Halloween, adding that “big gaps” remained between the two sides.
Amid claims on Tuesday that talks were close to collapse, he also suggested the language around the discussions had turned toxic “in some quarters”.
Varadkar and Boris Johnson are expected to meet for further Brexit talks later this week, after a hastily-arranged phone call yesterday afternoon offered some hope of a breakthrough.
Sassoli, who met with the Prime Minister in Downing Street yesterday, left saying “no progress” had been made.
He told the BBC’s Newsnight programme: “Angela Merkel’s opinions must be taken seriously. We are all very worried because there are only a few days left.
“Because we understand that going out without an agreement leads to having a real problem, if not a real catastrophe.”
It followed a day of high drama in Westminster with two antagonistic briefings issued by anonymous Number 10 sources.
The first appeared to threaten Ireland over future security co-operation, saying countries who tried to block Brexit would “go to the bottom of the queue” in future talks.
The second gave a detailed account of Johnson’s phonecall with German Chancellor Angela Merkel which appeared to signal an end to any possibility of a breakthrough.
Although Downing Street spokespeople have since stressed that a deal can be struck if compromises are made, sources suggest that it is now accepted hopes of leaving on 31 October, with or without a deal, are now over.
The Benn Act has also made it impossible for the UK to leave without a deal, with ministers still acutely “embarrassed” after the Supreme Court overruled Johnson’s attempt at a lengthy prorogation.
“It is priced in that we are not going to leave on 31st,” said one source.
The briefing was “all electioneering – it had nothing to do with Brexit,” the source added.
Brexit secretary Steve Barclay will be in Brussels tomorrow to meet with Barnier to “discuss the state of play following a week of technical talks”.
However it is thought this is not expected to yield any breakthrough.
Main image: Getty