Quote of the day 13th December 2020

 "Keep calm and carry on negotiating"


(I heard a French Euro-MP say this yesterday but I think it originated with an un-named Élysée Palace  spokesperson.)

I quote this alongside the one piece of good news from the trade negotiations which is that both sides still think it is worth continuing to talk: following another conversation this morning between Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen which both sides described as "useful" the two leaders have released a joint statement, which says that they 

"discussed the major unresolved topics" and that "despite the exhaustion" of many months of talks and multiple missed deadlines, carrying on the bid to strike an agreement was "responsible".


"We have accordingly mandated our negotiators to continue the talks and to see whether an agreement can even at this late stage be reached," they said.




 


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