The reaction in EU capitals to Downing Street’s latest categorical rejection of any Brexit talks extension will have been one of disappointment, but hardly surprise. London, true to form, says it will not seek or accept an extension come the end-of-June deadline for an application to push negotiations beyond December. Borders and all that go with them will be reimposed on January 1st.
The future relationship talks between chief negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost resume formally on Monday after a hiatus that saw both in coronavirus lockdown. Although technical discussions continued in the interim there has been no significant bridging of differences. Few hold out hope that they can make enough progress by June to make a December deal possible.
The pandemic pain inflicted on the UK economy has not apparently prompted any rethink on how to minimise Brexit-related damage. On the contrary, for ideological Brexiteers the challenge of concealing Brexit’s real economic damage has become a good deal easier.
We have been here before, and such categorical pledges from Boris Johnson have more than once proved ephemeral or merely tactical. Not least, he has often claimed, because signs of weakness would remove any urgency, and hence impetus, from the discussions resuming this week. The EU needs the pressure, we are told.
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And yet two months is a long time in a pandemic. Plenty of time to find new excuses for another U-turn. We must assume, however, that he is serious and continue to prepare for the worst – a departure without agreement. A call last week between British Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and European commission vice-president, Maroš Šefcovic, saw the latter again broach the UK's lack of preparedness for checks on the Irish Sea to preserve a borderless island. An EU statement afterwards reiterated the "urgent need" for a timetable for such work. If the UK expects EU good faith in the future relationship talks it must demonstrate the same in implementing commitments it made.