Fish was firmly on the menu at this evening’s Brussels Brexit showdown between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen.
The prime minister and EU Commission president locked horns over a scallop starter and steamed turbot main course.
The EU tried to sweeten the deal with a pavlova and exotic fruit sorbet desert, but it is not yet clear whether the offer was to Mr Johnson’s taste.
On my way to Brussels to meet @EU_Commission President @vonderleyen.
A good deal is still there to be done. But whether we agree trading arrangements resembling those of Australia or Canada, the United Kingdom will prosper mightily as an independent nation 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/6z1Tlr1ltI
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 9, 2020
Major disagreements remain on fishing rights, business competition rules and how a deal will be policed.
At the dinner, the prime minister and his team worked through a list of the major sticking points with Mrs von der Leyen, who is representing the leaders of the 27 EU nations.
A UK Government source said progress at a political level may allow the negotiations – between the UK’s Lord Frost and EU’s Michel Barnier – to resume over the coming days.
