The Spectator

Portrait of the Week – 19 October 2017

Also in Portrait of the Week: American-backed forces claim control of Raqqa and Donald Trump decertifies Iran nuclear deal

issue 21 October 2017

Home

Theresa May, the Prime Minister, and David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, went to Brussels and had dinner with Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission and the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier. They came up with a joint statement that ‘efforts should accelerate over the months to come’. But by this week’s meeting of the European Council, Britain was deemed not to have done enough about the price it would pay to allow the EU to discuss trade matters. No great hope was held out that it would be any better by the next meeting in December. Keir Starmer, Labour’s Brexit spokesman, said: ‘There is no way we would vote for a no deal.’ Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, when asked about Brexit by a Commons committee, said: ‘I think it is unthinkable there would be no deal.’ Philip Hammond, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, apologised for saying in a television interview: ‘The enemy, the opponents, are out there.

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in