Leaked EU papers accuse Theresa May of ‘double cherry picking’ in Brexit negotiations
2 min read
Theresa May’s landmark Brexit speech has been dismissed by EU officials as an attempt to win over the Tory party, according to a leaked report.
The document, seen by the Guardian, suggests that the Prime Minister’s Brexit address last week was merely a change in tone aimed at her Conservative colleagues and did not substantially improve Britain’s chances of reaching a deal with the EU.
The working paper claims that Mrs May is seeking compromises on trade that amount to “double cherry-picking”.
It also suggests that “zero progress” has been made on how customs arrangements will work after Brexit.
The document states: “Like with PM May’s previous speeches, she addressed more her domestic audience, trying to bridge the gaps between the two poles of the debate on Brexit in the UK.
“While the speech was long on aspirations, it was short on workable solutions that would respect the EU27 principles.”
A Whitehall source described the work as a“highly misleading summary which was clearly prepared at pace, contains very poor analysis, and does not reflect the detailed conversations we are having with European partners”.
Elsewhere in the text it praised the Prime Minister’s change in tone, saying Friday’s speech was “positive and measured” and included an “explicit recognition of (some of) the negative impacts” of Brexit.
On the Northern Irish border it said: “Creating a regulatory regime in Northern Ireland, which might be different from the rest of the UK does not undermine UK integrity or sovereignty either.”
It comes as the European Council prepares to publish its guidelines for a post-Brexit trade deal today.
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