The British and European Union will visit London next week for the eighth round of talks on their future relationship, but neither side expects progress. Michael Barnier warned this week that there would be no agreement if Britain did not change its current stance on fisheries and state aid.
On Friday evening, Britain’s chief contractor David Frost rejected Barnier’s claim.
“We have set aside a lot of time for discussions and at this stage we need to participate in the discussions. However, the European Union (EU) is still pushing for a change in our position on state aid and fisheries in order to have significant textual discussions on anything else. We have been clear from the beginning what we can accept in these areas that underlie our status as an independent nation. We will have constructive discussions, but the EU’s stance may realistically limit the progress we have made next week, “he said.
