The EU’s lead negotiator is expected to delay publishing the union’s blueprint for a post-Brexit relationship with Britain after signals of new concessions from Downing Street. Michel Barnier had intended to publish an “annotated” draft political declaration tomorrow setting out red lines on a future trade deal. However, amid concerns in London that the document could lead to fresh demands from Brexiteers for Theresa May to abandon her plan for a Chequers-style deal, the paper is being redrafted. EU sources said it was now intended to be a “sort of joint text” that will indicate areas of mutual agreement and disagreement over the outlines of a future trading and security partnership. Officials said the changes were being made to take into account a changed British
Michel Barnier has delayed publishing a draft on how the EU sees a trade deal working post-Brexit, after Downing Street signalled new concessions in their negotiating position. EU sources say these will be taken into account and the blueprint redrafted, in order to buy Theresa May time to gather domestic support for a final “grand bargain” ahead of next week’s critical meeting of European leaders. The prime minister is understood to have been angered by comments from her own Brexit secretary, David Davis, who said last week that Britain would not accept any kind of customs border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.