The United Kingdom and the European Union announced that they have made progress in their goal to broker a trade deal post-Brexit, Friday.
Michael Barnier, the chief Brexit negotiator of the EU said that there are four specific points that encompass that "political declaration" of the relationship of both parties in the near future that was not met, during a press conference.
Moreover, he stated that the agreement that was signed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson back in January will remain as a single valid reference and relevant precedent in the ongoing negotiation.
He also called out the British party saying that what was written in the deal was signed and agreed on by both sides but the brits have failed to follow some provisions.
However, Daily Express reported that David Frost, who is the UK's Brexit negotiator tried to soft-pedal the document's significance and told journalists that not everything in the agreement should be passed onto the legally binding deal.
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No Extensions
Even with the deadlocks in the trade talks, the UK has insisted that there will be no extensions that will be placed on the table anymore. Thus, this means that there is a big possibility that by the end of the year, the UK will no longer broker a trade deal with the EU on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms.
In a report by the Guardian, Penny Mordaunt, UK's paymaster general spoke in the House of Commons about updates regarding the Brexit talks and affirmed that alongside Michael Gove, she will be emphasizing that the country will no longer allow an extended period of transitions.
This, however, led to some conclusions and assumptions that the government is behaving rashly, thus they are rushing a trade deal.
She also added that the country is already hoping to have the deal sealed by autumn this year. She also stated that money from the coffers of the EU can be diverted by the government in order to boost the British Economy.
In addition, she stressed that there is a possibility that no-deal will be brokered, thus, they have already kept the planning for a no-deal on the table. She also noted that it would be wise for the country to be ready for every possible scenario.
Meanwhile, Duchy of Lancaster's shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves insisted that the government should honor the deal that was promised and signed bu PM Boris Johnson. One of the major issues of the trade deal at the time is the request of the EU to have access to the fishing waters of the UK.
In 2017, a report claiming that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron were trying to broker a deal with the EU which was less formal and was focused on the goal of salvaging the relationship of UK with Brussels. During that time, a source said that there was a serious attempt to block the Brexit.
Related article: French Fishermen Threaten To Block Ports If Post-Brexit Fisheries Trade Deal Is Still Off The Table
