Is Boris Johnson more likely to get a Brexit deal after his meetings with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron? The Prime Minister today tried to dampen hopes, saying that while the ‘mood music’ had been ‘very good’ during his meetings with the two leaders this week, it was still going to be hard to persuade the EU to give way. Speaking during a visit to Devon, Johnson said: ‘This is not going to be a cinch, this is not going to be easy. We will have to work very hard to get this thing done.’
Much of the week has been spent trying to work out what various comments and bits of body language really mean. Was Johnson celebrating successful talks or just having a stretch when he arrived back in Downing Street after his meetings? Was he snubbing the French when he jokingly placed his foot on a table in the Elysée Palace during his meeting with Emmanuel Macron? Was Angela Merkel leaving the door open for a breakthrough – or was she just being polite?
That last question is one Downing Street is particularly interested in answering at the moment.
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