Brexit - EU Calls Bozo’s Bluff

The level to which Brexiteer desperation has sunk was illustrated superbly yesterday by those still clinging desperately to the myth that the UK will somehow sail off into a free and prosperous sunset on leaving the EU. The mean-spirited, abusive and ignorant response to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen telling that she was self-isolating, after one of her staff tested positive for Covid-19, was just sad and embarrassing.

That might be not unrelated to the latest news from Brexit negotiations: put simply, it was not going well. For chief UK negotiator David Frost, this was turning out to be a campaign that had developed not necessarily to his advantage. “Disappointed by the #EUCO conclusions on UK/EU negotiations. Surprised EU is no longer committed to working ‘intensively’ to reach a future partnership as agreed with [Ms von der Leyan] on 3 October”.

He continued to whine. “Also surprised by suggestion that to get an agreement all future moves must come from UK. It's an unusual approach to conducting a negotiation … [Boris Johnson] will set out UK reactions and approach tomorrow in the light of his statement of 7 September”. The EU had basically told Frost to take their trade terms or leave it.

This was the reality behind claims that the UK held all the cards, that a trade deal would be the easiest thing to do, that we could choose the path we wanted. It showed that the German can manufacturer cavalry would never be appearing on the horizon. And Frost should not have been surprised, not if he’d watched Michel Barnier’s Twitter feed.

Just three days ago, he had told “At #GAC today with [Maroš Šefčovič] to brief EU Ministers on state of play of [EU-UK] negotiations and the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement. Strong EU unity confirmed ahead of European Council. The EU will continue to work for a fair deal in the coming days and weeks”. Total unity. No picking off individual member states. No appealing to those mythical “moderate” countries.

It was exactly as Frost, Bozo and their pals had been warned. It was Project Reality. A bloc of 450 million people trumps one country of 68 million. From Berlin, Jon Worth mused “Really that whining thread from Frost. What a petty little man. The Government you represent has gone back on its word re. the NI Protocol and burnt through trust with its Internal Market Bill and you’re whingeing the EU was unkind to you? Pffff”.

From France, Alex Taylor asked the obvious question. “What did you expect, Brexiteers ? A bloc of 27 countries with 460 million people, the world's biggest international market, losing one trade deal, versus 1 country, 60 million that in 9 weeks has practically no trade deals … It was always going to come to this”. Frost was surprised. Few others were.

Terry Christian responded to Frost “Mate there are about 450 million of them and they hold all the cards and have the best and toughest negotiators in the world, that's what we were paying our membership for. Don't be such a dope , this was always going to happen. They hold all the cards. Now get it done”. John Redwood also got it in the neck.

“The EU simply stuck to what we signed up to in the Withdrawal Agreement & Political Declaration. They've been completely honest about it from day one. The problem is that you thought you could pressure them into breaking ranks and letting us cherry pick. But you got it wrong”. Brexiteer belief is a thing to behold. But it does not outrank reality.

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