After months of failed negotiations that have imperilled both a workable deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and her own leadership, Theresa May has attempted a personal appeal to the leaders of European nations for progress.
Hoping for any sort of movement at all on the subject of future trade relations between Britain and the EU, May made her appeal over dinner in Brussels before key European leaders were due to discuss Brexit — without Mrs May’s presence — on Friday.
In begging for a deal she could at least “defend” to the British people, it appears the Prime Minister has given up on getting a good deal for her country at the Brussels bargaining table, but instead will settle for one which won’t result in her being fired her own electorate — the bare minimum.
But like another British Prime Minister of a past generation who flew to the continent to extract promises of cooperative behaviour from a European power, initial high hopes may yet be confounded.
And as before, believing herself triumphant the British Prime Minister landed in London Friday morning having secured a “green light” from EU president Donald Tusk to proceed to the second stage of negotiations — having already conceded almost every British negotiating point just to get that far.
Speaking at a press conference Friday morning, the Prime Minister said there would be a deal in our time.
Leading European figures have repeatedly dismissed Britain’s attempts at broadening negotiations with the simple phrase — “no sufficient progress”.
Repeated attempts by the British negotiating team to lower the European Union’s expectations of a significant ‘Brexit bill’ — which has been reported to be as high as €100 billion — and of rights of European Union citizens living in the United Kingdom have repeatedly failed.
In another attempt to appease Europe at a speech in Florence, Mrs May left the door open to paying a significant bill, and just yesterday it was revealed any EU migrant coming to Britain up to March 2019 would have indefinite leave to stay, triggering fears of a rush to beat the date, pushing net migration further.