It once seemed a near certainty that Brexit talks would progress on to the next stage by Christmas. Now, it seems somewhat less likely: David Davis reportedly told business leaders it was a 50-50 chance of making a breakthrough by December, according to Bloomberg (although Davis denies saying this). So what explains the latest hold-up?
The Brexit bill remains the big sticking point, says the Financial Times. Theresa May made an ‘opening offer’ of €20bn – and while she ‘may be frustrated’ that her bid was ‘not met by any reciprocal concession from Brussels’, she should not be surprised, says the FT. ‘The reality is,’ says the paper, ‘that the EU does not need to moderate its demands’. After all, Brussels sees ‘little point’ in ‘making concessions’ to Britain when its weak government means there is little chance of getting anything ‘credible’ in return.
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