BREXIT! BREXIT! BREXIT!

[Scot Dutchy]

I made the above comment before I read this:

Brexit: Boris Johnson says talks in 'serious situation' after call with EU chief

PM says no deal is ‘very likely’ after speaking to Ursula von der Leyen

Boris Johnson claimed the Brexit talks were in a “serious situation” after a call with Ursula von der Leyen, even as the EU’s chief negotiator raised hopes of a weekend Brexit agreement by persuading the European parliament to delay its deal deadline to Sunday.

In a statement released after a short stock-take telephone call on Thursday evening with the European commission president, the prime minister repeated his suggestion that it was “very likely” that an agreement would not be reached, with fisheries the standout issue.

Downing Street said Johnson had told Von der Leyen that the UK “could not accept a situation where it was the only sovereign country in the world not to be able to control access to its own waters for an extended period and to be faced with fisheries quotas which hugely disadvantaged its own industry”.

He has played the fish card already.

[Scot Dutchy]

Barnier's take on the situation:

Barnier: fishing row is main obstacle in 'final hours' of Brexit talks

EU’s chief negotiator says two sides have hit ‘moment of truth’ after months at loggerheads

Michel Barnier has said the main obstacle to a deal in the final “few hours” of the post-Brexit trade negotiation is whether Brussels will be able to hit British goods with tariffs if the government closes its fishing waters to EU fishing fleets in the future.

With the European parliament having said it needs agreement by midnight on Sunday for it to be able to give its consent in a vote this year, the EU’s chief negotiator said the nine months of talks had hit the “moment of truth”.

The two sides are at loggerheads over whether the EU will be able to hit back should the UK close its seas to European vessels after a transition period of unspecified length.

Barnier said it would only be fair for Brussels to be able to put tariffs on UK goods, and fisheries products in particular, should European fishing fleet lose their access to British waters.

In a speech to the European parliament, Barnier told MEPs: “It’s a question of whether the UK will leave in a few days – 10 days or so – if they’re going to leave the single market and the customs union with an agreement or without an agreement. It’s the moment of truth.

“We have very little time remaining, just a few hours to work through these negotiations in a useful fashion if you want this agreement to enter into force on 1 January.”

What percentage of the UK economy are we talking about? 1,2% held by three companies? Chumocracy on a big scale. I wonder how big is Johnson's brown envelope?

[Brian Peacock]

Which is stupid. The UK car industry has said a no deal would cost the economy £65bn and 30,000 jobs, whereas the UK fishing industry accounts for around £440m and 10,000 jobs. c.80% of fish landed in the UK is exported straight to the European mainland. It's the talk of "keeping control of our waters" which shows that the fish card is just a bit of nationalistic rhetoric for the headline writers.

---

Interesting to review the Brexit timeline in the New European today: https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit ... eu-6856704

[Scot Dutchy]

Those fishing companies must be very good chums of Johnson.

[Scot Dutchy]

UK faces Brexit limbo after talks deadline missed

Britain risks weeks without trade transition plans from 1 January after missing EU parliament Sunday deadline

Negotiators of a Brexit trade deal inched towards a compromise on fishing rights on Sunday but missed a major deadline, raising the prospect of weeks without arrangements from 1 January even in the event of agreement.

The teams led by the chief UK negotiator, David Frost, and his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, were expected to continue talks on Monday despite the European parliament’s notice that it would not vote on a deal if not secured by midnight on Sunday.

A UK government source said: “Teams have been negotiating throughout the day and expect to continue tomorrow. Talks remain difficult and significant differences remain. We continue to explore every route to a deal that is in line with the fundamental principles we brought into the negotiations.”

Frost met Barnier on Sunday afternoon to discuss the latest EU proposals on fisheries, with the UK side posing a series of questions to be answered on Monday, raising some hope of progress.

The UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the talks had been derailed in recent days after the EU “put in some unreasonable demands” on fisheries, but that he was still hopeful of an agreement before Christmas. “I’m sure that a deal can be done, but obviously it needs movement on the EU side,” he said.

The failure to meet the European parliament’s deadline means that ministers on the EU council representing the bloc’s capitals may need to “provisionally apply” a deal on 1 January to avoid a no-deal exit until parliament votes later in the month.

Of course the Brexiteers will be laughing all the way to the bank.

[Scot Dutchy]

Johnson giving it full throttle in reverse gear.

No 10 fishing offer to EU raises hopes of Brexit deal before Christmas

UK negotiators reduce demand for EU catch reduction, potentially unlocking sticking point in talks

Downing Street has made a major counter-offer on fishing access for EU fleets in British waters to break the Brexit trade talks deadlock, raising hopes of a deal before Christmas.

After a difficult period of negotiations, with both sides seemingly entrenched, the UK’s chief Brexit negotiator, David Frost, is understood to have tabled a proposal that could unlock the troubled talks.

According to EU sources, the British demand for a 60% reduction in the catch by value in British waters had been reduced to 35%, far closer to the 25% reduction that Frost’s EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, had said he would be prepared to accept.

Boris Johnson has also accepted a five-year phase-in period for the new arrangements, with a compromise also likely on the application of tariffs or export bans on goods where fishing access changes after the phase-in period, it is understood.

Where the quota share is reduced, an independent arbitration panel will deduce the cost and allow either side to levy tariffs on goods. According to sources briefed on the terms, there will also be a termination clause should the reduction in access be judged to be egregious, opening up a fresh negotiation on all aspects of the trade deal.

UK sources declined to comment. Diplomats from the major fishing member states were sceptical on Monday evening that the offer would be acceptable in full. “Paris is key,” said one senior diplomat. “It is not enough – but it may be enough to unlock things.”

[Scot Dutchy]

[Scot Dutchy]

Almost there bar the blaming.

Brexit trade deal expected within hours

Brussels and London sources believe tortuous talks coming to a successful conclusion

Boris will be claiming he got the best deal.

[pErvinalia]

You'll be sad that a deal has been reached. Think about all that suffering that you won't be able to gloat over.

[Brian Peacock]

Some hours later...

:tumbleweed:

[Brian Peacock]

Boris Johnson to claim victory in Brexit talks, leaked paper reveals.

[Scot Dutchy]

Boris Johnson to claim victory in Brexit talks, leaked paper reveals.

Of course he will but the deal says different. The smoke screen is being activated. The small print is being made even smaller. We will have to wait for definite analysis but if he thinks he won he is more stupid than people gave credit for.

[Brian Peacock]

Even if it is all smoke and mirrors some deal is still better than no deal.

[Svartalf]

They claim a deal has been reached, I suspect johnson just wore them down tu nubs and then had his way.
not a glorious day.

[pErvinalia]

Even if it is all smoke and mirrors some deal is still better than no deal.

Not for a certain Dutch hater.