MNI: UK PM May Says Progress Has Been Made On Talks

- May Pins Hopes On Advancement In December, Says Talks Have New Impetus

By Kieran Williams

     LONDON (MNI) - UK Prime Minister Theresa May said in parliament on Monday

that important progress had been made in Brexit negotiations. Updating

parliament about talks after the EU Council Summit last week May was optimistic

that both sides were "in touching distance" of an agreement on key issues such

as EU citizens' rights.

     May's statement, and answers to the ensuing cross-examination from members

of parliament, was effectively a holding exercise that pins hopes on sufficient

progress in talks on a breakthrough by December that would allow the

negotiations to move forward to Phase 2.

     May's comments came after an article in the German press alleged that May

was "begging for help" from EU leaders. It citing a leaked account from a dinner

and maintained that EU leaders saw May as having a weak negotiating position.

     In parliament May reiterated many comments made in her summit speech on

Friday. 

     "Negotiations are complicated and deeply technical, but in the end they are

about people and we will put people first," said May.

     She said that the UK will leave the EU in March 2019, noting again that the

government is preparing for every eventuality and wants a smooth transition. She

again referred to her Florence speech's approach to financial commitments,

repeating that the UK will go through obligations "line by line."

     May cited internal negotiations on trade from the EU27 leaders as a signal

that progress was being made on talks, saying that talks had a "new impetus" and

that it was in the interests of both sides to get a good deal.

     Responding to May's statement, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn said talks have

reached an impasse and noted that two weeks ago she also claimed that they were

in "touching distance" of a deal on citizens' rights. He also pointed to the

conflicting opinions in the Cabinet and remarked key details such as the

transition period are still uncertain.

     May replied that her Brexit vision was set out in her Florence speech and

said that she has a "degree of confidence" that talks will move on to the next

phase in December. She cited German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU

leaders as agreeing with this sentiment.

     May repeatedly came under fire for not having a clear proposal for what

they want to achieve in negotiations, but keeping her cards close to her chest

and said that in a negotiation you cannot know exactly what you will end up

with.

     She said that "an implementation period must implement something" and thus

this period cannot be enacted unless a final trade deal is agreed - effectively

bundling talks about the transition period and trade together. May added that EU

Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier has proposed October 2018 for the conclusion of

talks.

     May is under pressure with regard to the transition, or implementation,

period. Earlier today a letter from Britain's five biggest business lobby groups

called for clarity on the transition arrangement by the end of the year. The

letter asserted that many businesses require this clarity or will embark on

contingency plans at the start of 2018.

     The PM also said that she expected a vote in parliament before other EU

countries hold one.

     "We have said that there will be a vote on the deal in this House and we

expect that to be a vote that will take place before the European parliament

votes on the deal" said May.

     While rumours of clashes in the Cabinet seem to be rife, a point that the

opposition raised frequently, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a Chatham

House speech earlier today that everyone was wholeheartedly behind the PM's

Florence proposals. The PM though did not directly deny accusations that a

"noisy minority" of Tories want a Brexit 'no deal' outcome and did not rule out

a 'no deal' scenario.

     In response to the leaked account in the German Press today European

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was shocked about what had been

written in the German press and said "nothing is true in all of this" when

speaking to the BBC. 

     Juncker's chief of staff Martin Selmayr said that Juncker has no interest

in weakening the PM and denied he was source of the leak.

--MNI London Bureau; +44 203 865 3809; email: kieran.williams@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2223; email: david.robinson@marketnews.com

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