LONDON (Reuters) - Britain unveiled a negotiating mandate on Thursday for talks with the European Union that puts it on a collision course with Brussels, saying it was ready to walk away if “good progress” was not made by June.
Having accepted that British businesses will encounter new “frictions” in trade with the bloc outside its single market and customs union, the government has made its stance clear - self-determination must trump economic concerns. “We want the best possible trading relationship with the EU, but in pursuit of a deal we will not trade away our sovereignty.”
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, said Brussels had taken “note” of the mandate. “We will stick to all our prior commitments in the political declaration,” he tweeted, referring to an outline agreement on future ties signed by both sides.Britain’s main opposition Labour Party, locked in a leadership battle, described the government’s stance as “frankly underwhelming”, and the British Chambers of Commerce said companies were “impatient for negotiations to begin in earnest”.
At the heart of the conflict is Britain’s demand for a trade deal along the lines of one between the EU and Canada.
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Ooooh taking a play out of the Trump play book. Good luck with that!
Walk away! Let EU collapse.
....there by closing the lid on a country, a people, a culture so they can, what, raise sheep and wander the bogs.....?
Yeah! You go, UK! You don’t need to trade with one of the largest economies in the world! Screw that.
UK Market is one of worst perming in EU FTSE -10 % (YTD) GBPUSD Fallen from 1.35 to 1.285 Post Election Brexit & other trade neg. uncertainty will only pull it down Growth weak in Q4 decline in Ind. Prod & tepid Retail Sales INVESTOR are moving OUT on such fluid condition🤠
The devolving of a once 'great power' right before your very eyes.
Congratulations Brit businesses, you’re walking away from 350 Million customers? Brilliant! gfrancie
Perfect ..... keep at it and you will be back to using wooden boats!
Yeah... that'll teach the EU 🤣🤣🤣
Walk off the cliff more like! Coming soon... The red cliffs of Dover...
Conservatives are awful people who make their country awful.
We would have to walk away because we wouldn’t have any cars
Shouldn't that walk have started by now then? Why June?
Watch a highly-developed nation commit economic and political suicide. All channels coverage!
This was their plan all along. No deal Brexit.
They're bluffing. Walking away will destroy their economy and government.
They need the EU far more than the EU needs them. Fools.
PD and WA both non binding, so little incentive to persist with vindictive EU
This song of walking away is getting boring. Lol
BorisJohnson should resign for lying during the election campaign he claimed he had a ready to go deal. It just needed to be put in the oven. JohnsonLies ToryBrexit
Well that will solve the problem
It is widely suspected this UK government wants to crash out of the EU onto WTO rules. No surprise they are antagonistic towards the EU to make them scapegoats for something they want to do anyway.
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