Former EU diplomat says Boris Johnson's last-minute trip to Brussels is 'just for show'
Sir Ivan Rogers - Credit: Dominic Lipinski/Press Association
A former EU diplomat has described Boris Johnson's last-minute meeting in Brussels as 'just for show', claiming the prime minister was adamant about pursuing a no-deal Brexit.
Sir Ivan Rogers, the former UK ambassador to the EU, said Johnson had intervened in Brexit talks too late to yield a positive result.
Rogers said officials in Brussels believe Johnson is not serious about a deal and that Wednesday's meeting with EU president Ursula von der Leyen was nothing more than political theatre.
He said many felt the gathering was "just a necessary step in the framing of the blame game for a 'no deal' outcome."
Rogers told POLITICO: "If I were advising someone who actively wanted a deal, I would have been advising him to get heavily engaged in serious face-to-face discussions at top level very much earlier.
You may also want to watch:
"If I were advising someone who did not much care about a deal but wanted to be seen by the British public to have tried his utmost, then I might be doing my first serious face-to-face meeting with the Commission president this week."
Johnson flew to Brussels this afternoon following Prime Minister's Questions, in a bid to reach a breakthrough on a post-Brexit trade deal.
Most Read
- 1 This chumocracy is costing our country
- 2 Nigel Farage loses nearly 50,000 followers after Twitter suspends QAnon accounts
- 3 Fifteen ways to fix Britain
- 4 Michel Barnier tells UK to be 'very careful' in Brexit diplomatic status row
- 5 Bob Geldof takes swipe at No 10 saying 'lying is second nature' to them
- 6 Independent SAGE adviser gives scathing assessment of Priti Patel's £800 Covid fines
- 7 Jacob Rees-Mogg says it's 'all the EU's fault' musicians can't tour Europe
- 8 George Osborne hopes for Brexit dividend
- 9 Tory minister admits UK rejected EU's music visa offer in order to 'take back control' of borders
- 10 Holyrood in talks with EU to extend Erasmus scheme to Scottish students
No 10 hopes tonight's dinner will allow trade talks to resume.
A Downing Street source said: "It's clear that some political impetus will be required for the talks to make any more progress.
"If we can make progress at a political level it may allow Lord Frost and his team to resume negotiations over the coming days."
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
