UK halts Brexit talks despite encouraging meeting hours earlier
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Britain said it saw no basis to resume trade talks with the European Union unless there is a fundamental change in approach from Brussels, chief negotiator David Frost said on Monday, dashing earlier optimism that negotiations could resume.
This statement came just a few moments after Michael Gove, the minister overseeing Brexit, had said there was agreement on the need to intensify trade talks and work on legal texts, after the negotiations broke down last week.
A statement by Downing Street noted the EU’s offer to “intensify” the talks during a call between Barnier and his British counterpart on Monday but insisted there remained no basis yet to resume the negotiation.
The British Government said: “This was a constructive discussion. The UK has noted the EU’s proposal to genuinely intensify talks, which is what would be expected at this stage in a negotiation. However, the UK continues to believe there is no basis to resume talks unless there is a fundamental change of approach from the EU”
The move, which is expected to leave Brussels perplexed was also out of tune with the EU’s reaction after the meeting with Gove. Vice President Šefčovič had just welcomed the committment by Britain on key areas, suggesting that the meeting between the two sides “had demonstrated the political will to move at pace on both sides”, but warned that “despite some progress, much work remains to be done by the UK” in relation to the Northern Ireland protocol.
At the meeting the two sides had even agreed a number of issues including access to EU databases and IT systems for the UK to implement the protocol.
The two sides are each pressing the other to move first in the high-stakes talks on a deal to protect billions of pounds worth of trade once Britain ends a status quo arrangement with the EU on Jan. 1.
