Brexit: the British negotiator is inflexible before the resumption of negotiations
Michel Barnier and David Frost, the two chief negotiators, in March 2020 in Brussels.
Oliver Hoslet / Pool via REUTERS
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
In a rare interview with the press, David Frost, who is leading the Brexit negotiations for London, multiplies the gestures of defiance and warns that his country will not give in to the Europeans, even if it means leaving the Union without an agreement.
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The United Kingdom
will not become a "
vassal state
" of the European Union insists David Frost in the
Mail on Sunday
.
In this interview, the first since his appointment in January, Boris Johnson's chief
Brexit
negotiator
warns his country will not make “
concessions
”.
"
We're not going to agree to clauses that would give them control over our currency, or our way of doing things here in the UK,
" he told UK readers.
Discussions are still stumbling on several points, in particular
on fishing quotas
.
The eighth and in principle the last round of negotiations is due to resume next week.
Michel Barnier is expected Tuesday 8 in London.
"
The EU had learned not to take our word seriously
"
His British counterpart David Frost says he is not afraid of the scenario feared by the Twenty-Seven: the “no-deal”, ie the absence of an agreement by the end of the year.
“
If we come up with an agreement that regulates trade like the one we have with Canada, great.
If we don't, it will be like Australia, and we're totally ready for it,
”he said.
In passing, the British negotiator scratched the previous government, that of Theresa May.
"
We arrived after a negotiating team that had blinked
, he laments,
the EU had learned not to take our word seriously
."
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