Brexit latest news – Merkel to STEAM IN to stop stubborn France 'playing the bad cop' and preventing a UK-EU trade deal

THE UK's hopes of post-Brexit trade deal with the EU are pinned on Angela Merkel forcing France to back down over fishing.

The German Chancellor is the best hope Britain has of getting stubbornEmmanuel Macron to soften his stance on French trawlers being allowed to take huge amounts of fish from British waters post Brexit.

The French President has admitted he's playing "the bad cop" but has repeatedly said he'd be prepared to see no trade deal at all than back down on the issue, with Europe minister Clément Beaune adding that said Paris is determined to ensure the EU is “really tough” with Britain.

This puts France at odds not only with nearly every other EU nation, but also with the EU's Chief Brexit negotiatior Michel Barnier stressed the importance of a deal to both sides and ordered the EU to compromise.

The fishing debate appears to be the final sticking point preventing a deal, with Britain suggesting a Norway-style agreement where access to UK waters is renegotiated with the EU on a yearly basis.

Follow our Brexit live blog for all the latest news and updates…

 

  • John Hall

    AMAZON ON BOARD

    Amazon has joined a 'secret' panel who will guide the government on the buying of goods post-Brexit – a move that has been branded 'frightening'.

    A tax expert said Amazon embedding itself into public procurement was a 'cause for concern' after the business was criticised for its tax record.

    Over the past five years, the online giant has been awarded 82 central government contracts worth £225 million, according to The Mirror.

    Amazon bosses attended two meetings last year with Oliver Dowden, who was a Cabinet Office minister at the time.

    TUC boss Frances O’Grady said: “Amazon’s reward for its exploitative business model is a seat at the table on an influential Government board advising on public procurement, on top of the multi-million-pound Government contracts it receives.”

  • John Hall

    LEO VARADKAR: ‘I’M CONFIDENT THERE WILL BE A DEAL’

    Ireland’s deputy PM Leo Varadkar has insisted a deal will be reached between the UK and the EU.

    He said: “I’m confident there will be a deal.”

    But Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said: “The EU needs to understand it is for them to move as well.”

  • John Hall

    FRANCE ‘PLAYING BAD COP’

    France has finally admitted it is playing “bad cop” on Brexit as trade talks enter a vital week.

    Europe minister Clément Beaune said Paris is ensuring the EU is “really tough” with Britain.

    France President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of delaying progress with hardline demands, especially on access to fish British waters.

    And Mr Beaune crowed: “We’ve always been accused of being the bad cops — we take full responsibility for that.”

  • John Hall

    'CONSUMERS WILL PAY'

    Leaving without a Brexit deal “has cost implications” which will impact UK consumers “in their pockets”, the head of Logistics UK has warned.

    Chief executive David Wells told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “No doubt the Government will argue that maybe the exporter will reduce their price to give you some sort of compensation.

    “Maybe the supplier or the importer may suck up some of the tariff, but in reality somebody somewhere has to pay for this and in a free trade agreement that with the EU that we have at the moment, there are no tariffs.

    “So to go to WTO rules, somebody somewhere is going to pay the tariff and ultimately I believe that will end up at the door of the consumer.”

    He added: “I am hoping for a deal but what I'm really trying to do by answering Michael Gove's letter is make clear to the public that leaving without a deal has cost implications which will impact them in their pockets and this could be a serious inflationary impact on our economy.”

  • John Hall

    TALKS IN LONDON CONTINUE

    Talks between Britain and the EU on a post-Brexit trade deal are continuing in London after Michel Barnier delayed his return to Brussels.

    The EU's chief negotiator is expected to remain in the UK until Wednesday to carry on intensive discussions with his British counterpart Lord Frost.

    Mr Barnier originally arrived in London on Thursday to resume the stalled negotiations and had been expected to return on Sunday ahead of the talks switching this week to the Belgian capital.

    The decision to stay in London was thought, at least in part, to be related to soaring coronavirus infection rates in Brussels.

    Nevertheless Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said the move was a “very good sign” that the talks were progressing.

    “I think there is a good chance that we can get a deal but I think it is for the EU to understand that it is for them to move as well,” he said.

  • John Hall

    EU BULLY

    France has finally admitted it is playing “bad cop” on Brexit as trade talks enter a vital week.

    Europe minister Clément Beaune said Paris is ensuring the EU is “really tough” with Britain.

    France President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of delaying progress with hardline demands, especially on access to fish British waters.

    And Mr Beaune crowed: “We’ve always been accused of being the bad cops — we take full responsibility for that.”

    But EU negotiator Michel Barnier has extended his stay in London to Wednesday amid optimism of a breakthrough.

Source: Read Full Article