Britain’s chief Brexit negotiator talks tough ahead of a crucial round of post-Brexit trade talks, saying the UK is “not afraid to walk away” if the European Union does not give ground on key issues.
David Frost tells the Mail on Sunday newspaper that Britain wants “to get back the powers to control our borders and that is the most important thing.”
Frost and EU negotiator Michel Barnier are due to meet in London on Tuesday for the eighth round of negotiations since Britain left the now 27-nation bloc on January 31.
European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, right, and the British Prime Minister’s Europe adviser David Frost arrive for Brexit trade talks between the EU and the UK, in Brussels, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. (Yves Herman, Pool Photo via AP)
That political departure will be followed by an economic break when an 11-month transition period ends on December 31 and Britain leaves the EU’s single market and customs union. The two sides are trying to strike a new deal on trade, security and a host of other issues, but talks are deadlocked.
The key sticking points are European boats’ access to UK fishing waters and state aid to industries. The EU is determined to ensure a “level playing field” for competition so British firms can’t undercut the bloc’s environmental or workplace standards or pump public money into UK industries.
— AP
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