Downing Street refuses to compromise in Brexit talks
The front door of number 10 Downing Street in London. - Credit: PA
Downing Street has said it will not be compromising on the UK’s Brexit negotiating position despite calls for a change of direction from the European Union.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We want to try and reach a free-trade agreement as soon as possible.
“But we have been clear that we won’t change our negotiating position and we have been clear what that position is.”
The government is “confident” there will be time to get legislation implementing any deal through parliament before the transition period expires at the end of the year.
The spokesman confirmed that the major stumbling blocks remain fishing rights and the “level playing field” arrangements aimed at preventing unfair competition.
You may also want to watch:
“Although there has been some progress there still remain divergences on the issues of fisheries and level-playing field,” he said.
Earlier a minister suggested it might be "possible" to extend talks if an agreement with the EU appeared to be in sight.
Most Read
- 1 Empty shelves are partly down to Brexit - but Leavers won't admit it
- 2 Why Bristol is the street art city
- 3 What I learned by avoiding England and the Euros
- 4 Telling the truth is now the only sackable offence
- 5 Has something shifted in sado-populist Britain?
- 6 Cost of Brexit is already 38 times more than the money set aside for levelling up
- 7 Boris Johnson: The sado-populist prime minister
- 8 Priti Patel - the poster girl for our poisonous politics
- 9 Brexit stripped me of my Britishness
- 10 Could southern discomfort sink a rebalancing agenda still in its infancy?
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.
