Both side are digging in
Italian prime minister Conte is on the wires saying after meeting with French Pres. Macron:
- must work side-by-side to ensure level playing field in talks between the EU and the UK.
Earlier today it was reported that the UK was prepared to walk away in June if there was no progress on trade talks. Michael Gove told parliament that the government would not accept any alignment with EU laws as the EU is demanding. He added that "We will not trade away our sovereignty"
The UK government published 30 page document with priorities for the talks including:
- The UK will not negotiate any arrangements in which the UK does not have control of its own laws and political life
- the UK's aim is for a trading relationship with EU similar to the ones the EU made with Canada, Japan and South Korea
- there will be no jurisdiction for EU law or the European Court of Justice in the UK
- the UK will rely on the WTO rules under any arrangement with the EU similar to Australia's if progress on a comprehensive deal cannot be made
- a separate agreement on fisheries is needed to reflect the fact that the UK will be an independent coastal state at the end of 2020
- The government wants to agree a broad outline of a deal with the EU capable of being rapidly finalized by September
- that does not happen you will decide whether to switch focus to leaving on WTO terms at the end of December
