Interview: Brexit posturing continues over summer as backroom negotiations roll on

Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-24 03:32:01|Editor: Liangyu
Video PlayerClose

LONDON, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The British government and the European Union (EU) have made their negotiating stances over the latest stage of Brexit clear, leaving the summer open for a period of behind-the-scenes negotiations, according to a leading Brexit expert.

"There will be a lot of posturing over the summer, and also a lot of backroom negotiating. Away from the headlines and the newspapers the two sides will be talking," Professor Anand Menon of the independent Brexit think-tank UK in a Changing Europe told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"I expect the two sides will talk, and there will be remarkably little of that leaked to the press," he said.

The incentives are there for both sides to reach an agreement and one of two things can happen, said Menon, who is professor of European politics and foreign affairs at King's College, London.

"One side or the other gives or there is no deal and neither side wants no deal."

Menon said that the talks were likely to center around achieving a Brexit deal that could be described as similar to the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta), or the EU-Norway trade arrangement.

Ceta allows both sides to enter into separate deals with other partners. It also puts Canada outside the EU's customs union and single market, within which there is tariff-free trade and free movement of people across national borders.

Norway is a member of the European Free Trade Area (EEA) and as such has full access to the single market but is not in the EU. It pays a contribution to the EU budget to gain that access and must follow EU trade rules.

People from across the EU are free to live and work in Norway, but it is exempt from EU rules on agriculture, fisheries, justice and home affairs.

"What the British government is counting on is that when both sides get closer to the deadline and EU member states are forced to give this issue a bit more attention than now, because most have other things on their minds right now, they will start to say that they need to be a bit more flexible," said Menon.

"What the EU will assume is that as both sides get nearer to that time the British government will start to say 'we will need to choose from the options on the table'."

"For Prime Minister May that is a dilemma, because the options on the table are either a slightly watered down version of the Canada Deal, watered down because there is not enough time to negotiate even the services provision of the Canada Deal, or an even more advanced version of the Norway Deal, and that is more Advanced because to accommodate Northern Ireland you need the customs union and elements of agriculture."

Menon says he believes the EU is offering something around those two options, but the British government will be focused on seeking some kind of third option.

"The British government thinks that if it can involve the member states it may be able to get a third option somewhere in the middle. We do not know with any certainty yet which way it will go."

DOMESTIC TENSION

While Prime Minister May and her team are handling their EU counterparts in the Brexit negotiations, May must handle her own Conservative Party, which is deeply split on the Brexit approach.

In the run-up to the White Paper and after a summit meeting of her Cabinet at May's country residence Chequers to agree the details of the paper, two key Cabinet ministers resigned in protest, along with several other junior ministers and senior party officials.

The resignations earlier this month of the Brexit Secretary David Davis, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and other ministers and officials were a criticism of the softer Brexit stance that May took in the White Paper.

The British government's Department for Exiting the EU said the White Paper proposes a free trade area for goods that ensures continued frictionless access at the border, protects jobs and livelihoods and ensures Britain and EU meet their shared commitments to Northern Ireland and Ireland.

The 98-page document spells out that workers from the other 27 EU member states will be able to travel to Britain visa-free to take up temporary employment, and also that businesses that provide services will be able to move their talented people to and from Europe and Britain.

Davis and Johnson said they believed this was an unacceptable softer stance.

Johnson articulated the opposition at May's White Paper in his resignation speech in the House of Commons when he said it would lead to "a botched Brexit" and put Britain in "a permanent limbo".

Principal opposition to May's softer Brexit approach, which would see Britain agree to adopt EU rules in some areas of trade, is centered in the Conservative Party's European Research Group (ERG), which has a vocal presence among MPs.

But Menon believes May's White Paper could have called the bluff of the ERG, and of Johnson and Davis.

May's opponents have chosen, so far, not to challenge her premiership, said Menon, which he believes is a sign of weakness on their part.

"I think they do not wish to remove her is a charitable way of saying they don't think they can. If the rebellion comes from the ERG, they simply do not have the numbers to remove her."

May's Conservative Party has clear rules about a challenge to the leadership, which can be triggered by 48 MPs calling for it, but there needs to b 158 MPs to vote against May to topple her.

It is not clear if there is enough opposition to May's plans to trigger a challenge or for her opponents to succeed.

And another problem looms for May's opponents. "The problem for the ERG are that the rules of the Conservative Party state that if you have a leadership bid which the prime minister wins then you can't have another one for a year," said Menon.

"So, if they have one and lose it then they have lost all leverage over the process. That is what is giving them pause, rather than wanting to keep the prime minister where she is."

While this summer will not be one of a traditional holiday for negotiators on both sides, crunch moments are likely to come in the late summer.

"The key moments will be at the end of September when the British political party conferences are held and the October Britain-EU summit," said Menon.

Until then, May must be hoping for a summer where she can more fully concentrate on Brexit without worrying that members of her party are trying to oust her.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001373437221
乐发lv 大发app 凤凰彩票app 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 大发彩票 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ii下载入口 乐发ll 乐发v平台 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 乐发lv 乐发lll安装 乐发lv 乐发登录入口 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票登录 网信彩票 彩神 彩神彩票官方网站 彩神彩票官网首页 彩神官方app下载安卓版 凤凰彩票登录 彩神v3 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 快3官网 网信彩票 快3app 网信彩票平台 百姓彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3app下载 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票平台 幸运5分彩快3 快3彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 大发10分PK10 快3下载 网信彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3彩票官网app 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 大发彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 彩神购彩平台 每日彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 彩神彩票购彩平台 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 凤凰彩票登录 乐发lv 乐发∨Il 百姓彩票网站网址 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发lll安装 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 一分快3 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 乐发lll 乐发ii下载入口 乐发彩票官方网站 凤凰彩票官方网站 凤凰快3 彩神彩票官网首页 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 凤凰彩票app 乐发app 网信彩票平台 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票app 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票app 网信彩票平台 乐发彩票app下载 乐发lv 乐发app 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 彩神彩票 乐发彩票中心 极速快3彩票平台 人人快三凤凰 大发彩票app 大发彩票大全 乐发彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 乐发app 酷天堂彩票平台 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票大厅 凤凰彩票app 极速快3彩票平台 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 大发彩票app 网信彩票用户 百姓快三 百姓彩票平台 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 彩信平台 网信彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发∨Il 人人快三凤凰 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 人人快三凤凰 乐发彩票 彩神彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发彩票 大发彩票中心 凤凰彩票登录 凤凰彩票app 彩神彩票 大发彩票 乐发ll 大发彩票app 凤凰快3 凤凰彩票 彩神彩票 乐发ll 凤凰彩票 乐发lll 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 彩神彩票 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 盈彩网投资平台 大发官网 一分时时彩 乐发lv 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 彩神iv 大发彩票app 大小单双平台 一分pk10 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发官网 快彩彩票 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 乐发彩票中心 网信快3 乐发 彩神xl 三分快3 大发彩票 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 大发彩票 乐发 分分快3 彩神vl 55世纪 55世纪 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 乐发lv welcome凤凰彩票 乐发ll 1分快3 彩神 彩神ll 1分快3官网 1分快3的平台 welcome凤凰彩票 三分快3 彩神x 彩神vl 凤凰彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ll 乐发lll 乐发lv 大发彩票app 大发彩票 乐发 乐发彩票 乐发彩票中心 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 彩神xl 腾讯快3 大发彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票app 快3平台 乐发 1分快3 乐发彩票 彩神x 凤凰快3 彩神xl 彩吧助手 大发彩票app 快3平台 大发排列3 彩神iv 彩神vl 乐发IV 彩神x 一分pk10 大发排列3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 一分pk10 凤凰彩票 乐发Vll 大发官网 乐发ll 大发彩票 乐发1 凤凰快3 彩神vl 乐发lx 百姓彩票 乐发VI 彩神x 乐发IV 极速快3 乐发 凤凰快3 网信快3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发lv 乐发lv 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 大发彩票 大发彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 彩神x 乐发 乐发ll 极速快3 乐发lv 乐发彩票中心 快3彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 彩神x 凤凰彩票app 分分快3 网信彩票 网盟彩票 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票 乐发 快彩彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发ll 网信彩票 乐发lv 全民彩票 凤凰彩票app下载 快盈彩票 大发彩票app 大发官网 凤凰彩票 彩神iv 大发彩票 网信快3 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票