What has Boris Johnson achieved in his first 100 days as prime minister? His place in the history books will be shaped by his response to the coronavirus outbreak, writes Lizzy Buchan
Swept to power with an overwhelming majority, the man whose boyhood dream was to be “world king” saw before him the chance to reshape post-Brexit Britain. But 100 days from his decisive election victory, Boris Johnson’s dreams of levelling up the country and presiding over an infrastructure revolution are disintegrating before his eyes. His place in the history books will instead be shaped by his response to the coronavirus, a public health challenge of such magnitude that it has
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been urged by a group of MEPs to delay his Brexit deadline as countries around the world battle the coronavirus. The European Parliament’s largest group of MEPs said the pandemic puts pressure on the chance of securing a trade deal by the planned date. The PM’s spokesman insisted there were no plans to change the timetable. It comes as EU and UK representatives met to discuss implementing the Brexit withdrawal agreement over video link. Under the agreement, the UK enters a transition period where it will continue to follow EU rules until 31 December 2020, by which time both sides say they hope to have agreed a trade deal.
Brexit: UK plan to agree trade deal by December is fantasy, says EU
Boris Johnson’s plan to seal a deal with Brussels on the future relationship with the UK by December has been described as “fantasy land” by EU officials, as a leaked letter revealed the scale of the bloc’s inability to function during the coronavirus pandemic.
An EU official said while the European commission, which is in charge of talks with the UK had better facilities for remote negotiation, it would be impossible for the member states through the EU council to have the same input. This would make a successful negotiation nearly impossible.
The December timeline for agreeing a deal with the EU “which was already hopelessly optimistic” was described as “like fantasy land”, by one source. The UK can agree with the EU to extend the transition period by up to one or two years, if necessary, but Downing Street insisted it will not do so.
Coronavirus is the new Brexit – another battlefield in the never-ending culture war The Leave and Remain armies haven’t been demobbed. They are regrouping in new theatres of combat
Cooped up in my own little “WFH” lazaretto, I’m spending too much time on Twitter. Then again, it’s all some of us have left after the pubs were cordoned off and normal human social interaction was replaced by something called Zoom. It has its uses, though, Twitter, and I am struck by how many of the same vicious tribal divisions we suffered during the Brexit crisis are being reproduced in this Covid-19 crisis. The Leave and Remain armies haven’t been demobbed; they are regrouping to fight new battles, prosecuting the never-ending culture war in new theatres of combat.
To take a rather extreme example, I offer yesterday’s Mail on Sunday spread – I discovered it via Twitter, of course – under the headline “Did Barnier Infect BoJo?” This is what my colleague John Rentoul calls a “question to which the answer is no”, or QTWTAIN. It referred to a meeting between Barnier and the UK’s Brexit negotiating team, supplemented by a flowchart and no clinical or other evidence whatsoever.
I suppose the answer to the question might better be: “Maybe, but he might also have got it when he was shaking hands with everyone on a Covid-19 ward”. In fact the writers surpassed themselves with a supplemental QTWTAIN in the opening paragraph: “Could this be the ultimate revenge for Brexit?”
It is indicative and telling in the easy conflation of Brexit and an entirely apolitical microorganism.
So what do we see now? Like Brexit, each tribe has its own dogma, heroes and experts. For the corona-sceptics the heroes are, once again, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. The corona-sceptic dogma is that we should not sacrifice personal liberty and the economy in the name of what is probably an overstated threat best dealt with via herd immunity.
It has its favourite scientists and studies: the ones that are upbeat about finding “cures” and minimising the “excess” death toll, arguing that coronavirus is merely bringing deaths of those with underlying conditions forward a bit (so that’s sort of all right then, it is implied). They like the studies such as the Oxford analysis that suggests many of us have had the disease without realising it.
There are outriders in this gang too, familiar to us from past arguments – including Tim Martin who has implied that you can’t get Covid-19 in a Wetherspoons pub. These people blame China for the “Chinavirus”, wanting a “reckoning” later on; they mock Brussels’ difficulties in coordinating EU member states. Their allies in the press write articles (such as that one in the Mail on Sunday) and think pieces entitled “The self-pitying ‘woke’ generation needed a war – and in coronavirus they’ve got one”.
The other side, the corona-istes, criticise Johnson and Trump for being complacent, pointing to the better records of Germany and Korea in tackling the outbreak. They stress the deadly nature of the pandemic and point to Imperial College scientists who suggested that there would be maybe 250,000 deaths if the government didn’t change course (which of course it did).
This tribe claim the trillions spent on rescuing the British economy during this unprecedented time shows that Jeremy Corbyn was right all along (he agrees), and that the wicked Tories left the NHS too weak to cope. They regret that the British didn’t join the joint EU ventilator procurement programme, and their heroes are the clinical staff who speak out about shortages of masks and gloves.
The divisions – cultural and generational – are as visceral as they were under Brexit, but, so far, much less evenly matched. Unlike the painful irreconcilability of the 48-52 split, recent polls suggest that Johnson is enjoying the support of three out four voters during this crisis, with a vast lead over his opponents. That is one reason why you shouldn’t pay too much attention to social media, I suppose.
The irony is that the politicians themselves are, this time round, far more collegiate and consensual than the Brexit leaders ever were, and the two cultural tribes still are. The Tory Matt Hancock and Labour’s John Ashworth are like brothers in arms, constructively battling to defeat a common enemy. Johnson, going out on the biggest spending spree since the Second World War, semi-nationalising the economy, has dropped the “Venezuela socialism” jibes against Corbyn. John McDonnell is not so far away from Rishi Sunak these days. Party politics has in effect been suspended, and the Brexit argument shelved. Our political leaders, remarkably, seem to want to work together, stop the bickering and call a truce in the culture wars. Maybe they should point out to their various followers in the press and the keyboard warriors on social media that there’s a ceasefire on?
Are the Brexit talks breaking down? A technical matter regarding the Irish Sea border threatens to unravel negotiations,
Obviously we all have bigger things to worry about than the future relationship between Britain and the European Union, but the world is still turning. Or not, in the case of progressing the talks between London and Brussels. Though no one is taking much notice, Brexit remains far from “done” – and things are going backwards. Despite the absence from the scene of Boris Johnson and Michel Barnier, the chief EU negotiator, because of Covid, and despite the novelty of video meetings in virtual conference rooms, there have been some discussions among the various participants, legal texts exchanged and the odd
Brexit: Simon Coveney says trade talks progress not good
Progress "has not been good" in negotiations to reach a post-Brexit trade deal, the Tánaiste (Irish deputy PM) has said. The transition period, due to end on 31 December, was intended to allow the UK and EU to negotiate a trade deal. Downing Street has previously said it will refuse an extension, even if the EU requested it. "Time is short and there's an awful lot to do," said Simon Coveney. It will be very serious for the Republic of Ireland as it works to rebuild its economy in a post Covid-19 world, added the minister.
'Another crisis point' Speaking on RTÉ Radio One, the tánaiste said he was concerned that unless significant progress was made soon, the UK and EU would reach "another crisis point" in the negotiations. "Progress has not been good in the couple of rounds of negotiations we've had, of course there have been huge distractions for everybody in the context of Covid-19. "There are only two rounds of negotiations left before an assessment in mid-summer and one of them is this week."
Brexit will mean checks on goods crossing Irish Sea, government admits Ministers’ letter confirms border control posts at ports of Belfast, Warrenpoint and Larne
The government has privately conceded there will be post-Brexit checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea, months after Boris Johnson insisted there would be no such trade barriers. In a letter to the executive office in Stormont the government confirmed there would be border control posts in three ports, Belfast, Warrenpoint and Larne.
Stand-off or stalemate: EU-UK Brexit trade talks in trouble
EU and UK negotiators agreed on one thing on Friday - they'd made precious little progress in trade talks so far when it comes to the key sticking points between the two sides. They include fish, competition rules, even the form the trade deal should take (one big agreement, as Brussels demands, or the UK preference for a number of mini deals alongside a basic free trade agreement). Each side secretly, or not so secretly, views the other as misguided ideologues: The EU caricature, rigid with quasi-religious belief in the "integrity of the single market." The UK government stereotype, described off the record in EU circles, as unquestioning or unthinking believers in "national sovereignty over everything".
As International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and the US trade representative Robert Lighthizer kick off talks remotely, they're hoping that a long distance courtship won't be an obstacle to deeper ties - a deal which boosts output and jobs by cutting the charges and restrictions on trade. The "special relationship" is already a lucrative one. More than £220bn worth of goods and services are traded between the two nations, their companies responsible for millions of jobs on the other's home turf. The UK is hoping to capitalise on its new-found ability to strike free-trade deals with more opportunities for exporters of cars, ceramics and whisky, for example. However, this won't be an easy ride into the sunset. Both sides are desperate for speed, to show at least some easy wins, perhaps in areas such as manufactured goods or financial services. Starting gun to be fired on UK-US trade talks Which countries does the UK do the most trade with? But there are sticking points. The US wants more access for its farmers to British markets, cue talk of chlorinated chicken and hormone treated beef. President Trump is unlikely to back down on this as he tries to woo voters ahead of an election in country where one in six workers have filed for unemployment benefits in recent weeks.
And more access is likely to mean the UK having to relax standards and regulations - that, along with areas such as pharmaceutical prices, will meet with strenuous opposition from this side of the water. Even if these hurdles are overcome, the gains may be modest. The Department for International Trade's own analysis suggests that Britain's economy would be just 0.16% - or £3.4bn - bigger in 15 years - if all tariffs with the US are eliminated. And that scenario goes beyond the UK's objectives; in reality, the boost could be even smaller.
Brexit talks
Crucially, these are not the only trade talks troubling Whitehall's IT capability; those with Brussels over the future relationship with the EU stagger on. Despite British hopes of a deal by the end of the year, and a refusal to extend the transition period, the Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has warned that the talks may reach crisis point unless progress is made soon. The stakes there are even higher; studies suggest the gain from a US deal would only go a small way to compensate for the hit to UK growth from even a Free Trade Agreement with Europe compared to what may have resulted from continued membership of the EU. An even looser relationship with the EU with more restrictions would widen that gap. The government is keen to use its new-found freedom on the trade circuit to show it can create new opportunities and prosperity. But failure to deliver, or to carefully manage a delay, could come with a high price tag at this delicate point for the economy
Johnson's promised Brexit border in Irish sea 'will not be ready in time'
A new Brexit border in the Irish Sea will not be ready by Boris Johnson’s end-of-year deadline, according to a new analysis that warns more than 60 administrations, government departments and public bodies will be involved in overseeing the new system.
60 days to save the British family farm: Tories rebel as Trade Secretary Liz Truss 'plots to betray UK farmers' for Trump deal that could see stores flooded with sub-standard imports... as Agriculture Bill may become law by July
A deep split has opened up in the Government over a trade deal with Donald Trump, with the Cabinet Minister in charge of negotiations accused of planning to turn Britain into a ‘pariah state’ by allowing the import of cheap foods pumped with antibiotics and hormones. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has clashed with Environment Secretary George Eustice, who fears that Ms Truss is preparing to ditch the UK’s animal welfare and environmental standards in order to strike a deal with the White House after Britain’s transition period with the EU ends in December. Mr Eustice is understood to be concerned that flooding the UK market with cheap American products could drive many British farmers out of business – but Ms Truss insists that she has no intention of lowering standards. The row comes amid growing Tory concern over the Agriculture Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, because it does not set any environmental or welfare rules for farm imports after Brexit at the end of the year.
Michel Barnier: 'Dynamism needed to avoid UK-EU talks stalemate
A "new dynamism" is needed in the next round of post-Brexit UK-EU trade talks if they are to avoid a "stalemate", EU chief negotiator Michael Barnier says. In a letter, he criticises the "tone" of his UK counterpart David Frost, but says talks could move forward with "constructive engagement by the UK". He was responding to a letter written by Mr Frost which was critical of the EU's approach to the negotiations.
Comments
His place in the history books will be shaped by his response to the coronavirus outbreak, writes Lizzy Buchan
Swept to power with an overwhelming majority, the man whose boyhood dream was to be “world king” saw before him the chance to reshape post-Brexit Britain.
But 100 days from his decisive election victory, Boris Johnson’s dreams of levelling up the country and presiding over an infrastructure revolution are disintegrating before his eyes.
His place in the history books will instead be shaped by his response to the coronavirus, a public health challenge of such magnitude that it has
https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/politics-explained/boris-johnson-10-days-brexit-coronavirus-general-election-a9415906.html
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been urged by a group of MEPs to delay his Brexit deadline as countries around the world battle the coronavirus.
The European Parliament’s largest group of MEPs said the pandemic puts pressure on the chance of securing a trade deal by the planned date.
The PM’s spokesman insisted there were no plans to change the timetable.
It comes as EU and UK representatives met to discuss implementing the Brexit withdrawal agreement over video link.
Under the agreement, the UK enters a transition period where it will continue to follow EU rules until 31 December 2020, by which time both sides say they hope to have agreed a trade deal.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52101096
Boris Johnson’s plan to seal a deal with Brussels on the future relationship with the UK by December has been described as “fantasy land” by EU officials, as a leaked letter revealed the scale of the bloc’s inability to function during the coronavirus pandemic.
An EU official said while the European commission, which is in charge of talks with the UK had better facilities for remote negotiation, it would be impossible for the member states through the EU council to have the same input. This would make a successful negotiation nearly impossible.
The December timeline for agreeing a deal with the EU “which was already hopelessly optimistic” was described as “like fantasy land”, by one source. The UK can agree with the EU to extend the transition period by up to one or two years, if necessary, but Downing Street insisted it will not do so.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/brexit-uk-plan-to-agree-trade-deal-by-december-is-fantasy-says-eu/ar-BB12kbDz?ocid=spartandhp
The Leave and Remain armies haven’t been demobbed. They are regrouping in new theatres of combat
Cooped up in my own little “WFH” lazaretto, I’m spending too much time on Twitter. Then again, it’s all some of us have left after the pubs were cordoned off and normal human social interaction was replaced by something called Zoom.
It has its uses, though, Twitter, and I am struck by how many of the same vicious tribal divisions we suffered during the Brexit crisis are being reproduced in this Covid-19 crisis. The Leave and Remain armies haven’t been demobbed; they are regrouping to fight new battles, prosecuting the never-ending culture war in new theatres of combat.
To take a rather extreme example, I offer yesterday’s Mail on Sunday spread – I discovered it via Twitter, of course – under the headline “Did Barnier Infect BoJo?” This is what my colleague John Rentoul calls a “question to which the answer is no”, or QTWTAIN. It referred to a meeting between Barnier and the UK’s Brexit negotiating team, supplemented by a flowchart and no clinical or other evidence whatsoever.
I suppose the answer to the question might better be: “Maybe, but he might also have got it when he was shaking hands with everyone on a Covid-19 ward”. In fact the writers surpassed themselves with a supplemental QTWTAIN in the opening paragraph: “Could this be the ultimate revenge for Brexit?”
It is indicative and telling in the easy conflation of Brexit and an entirely apolitical microorganism.
So what do we see now? Like Brexit, each tribe has its own dogma, heroes and experts. For the corona-sceptics the heroes are, once again, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. The corona-sceptic dogma is that we should not sacrifice personal liberty and the economy in the name of what is probably an overstated threat best dealt with via herd immunity.
It has its favourite scientists and studies: the ones that are upbeat about finding “cures” and minimising the “excess” death toll, arguing that coronavirus is merely bringing deaths of those with underlying conditions forward a bit (so that’s sort of all right then, it is implied). They like the studies such as the Oxford analysis that suggests many of us have had the disease without realising it.
There are outriders in this gang too, familiar to us from past arguments – including Tim Martin who has implied that you can’t get Covid-19 in a Wetherspoons pub. These people blame China for the “Chinavirus”, wanting a “reckoning” later on; they mock Brussels’ difficulties in coordinating EU member states. Their allies in the press write articles (such as that one in the Mail on Sunday) and think pieces entitled “The self-pitying ‘woke’ generation needed a war – and in coronavirus they’ve got one”.
The other side, the corona-istes, criticise Johnson and Trump for being complacent, pointing to the better records of Germany and Korea in tackling the outbreak. They stress the deadly nature of the pandemic and point to Imperial College scientists who suggested that there would be maybe 250,000 deaths if the government didn’t change course (which of course it did).
This tribe claim the trillions spent on rescuing the British economy during this unprecedented time shows that Jeremy Corbyn was right all along (he agrees), and that the wicked Tories left the NHS too weak to cope. They regret that the British didn’t join the joint EU ventilator procurement programme, and their heroes are the clinical staff who speak out about shortages of masks and gloves.
The divisions – cultural and generational – are as visceral as they were under Brexit, but, so far, much less evenly matched. Unlike the painful irreconcilability of the 48-52 split, recent polls suggest that Johnson is enjoying the support of three out four voters during this crisis, with a vast lead over his opponents. That is one reason why you shouldn’t pay too much attention to social media, I suppose.
The irony is that the politicians themselves are, this time round, far more collegiate and consensual than the Brexit leaders ever were, and the two cultural tribes still are. The Tory Matt Hancock and Labour’s John Ashworth are like brothers in arms, constructively battling to defeat a common enemy.
Johnson, going out on the biggest spending spree since the Second World War, semi-nationalising the economy, has dropped the “Venezuela socialism” jibes against Corbyn. John McDonnell is not so far away from Rishi Sunak these days. Party politics has in effect been suspended, and the Brexit argument shelved.
Our political leaders, remarkably, seem to want to work together, stop the bickering and call a truce in the culture wars. Maybe they should point out to their various followers in the press and the keyboard warriors on social media that there’s a ceasefire on?
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/coronavirus-brexit-culture-war-boris-johnson-jeremy-corbyn-rishi-sunak-a9433441.html
Britain locked horns with the EU over fishing rights yesterday after the first post-Brexit trade talks in more than a month.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
A technical matter regarding the Irish Sea border threatens to unravel negotiations,
Obviously we all have bigger things to worry about than the future relationship between Britain and the European Union, but the world is still turning. Or not, in the case of progressing the talks between London and Brussels. Though no one is taking much notice, Brexit remains far from “done” – and things are going backwards.
Despite the absence from the scene of Boris Johnson and Michel Barnier, the chief EU negotiator, because of Covid, and despite the novelty of video meetings in virtual conference rooms, there have been some discussions among the various participants, legal texts exchanged and the odd
https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/politics-explained/brexit-trade-talks-irish-sea-border-eu-withdrawal-agreement-a9494671.html
Progress "has not been good" in negotiations to reach a post-Brexit trade deal, the Tánaiste (Irish deputy PM) has said.
The transition period, due to end on 31 December, was intended to allow the UK and EU to negotiate a trade deal.
Downing Street has previously said it will refuse an extension, even if the EU requested it.
"Time is short and there's an awful lot to do," said Simon Coveney.
It will be very serious for the Republic of Ireland as it works to rebuild its economy in a post Covid-19 world, added the minister.
'Another crisis point'
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One, the tánaiste said he was concerned that unless significant progress was made soon, the UK and EU would reach "another crisis point" in the negotiations.
"Progress has not been good in the couple of rounds of negotiations we've had, of course there have been huge distractions for everybody in the context of Covid-19.
"There are only two rounds of negotiations left before an assessment in mid-summer and one of them is this week."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52544954
Ministers’ letter confirms border control posts at ports of Belfast, Warrenpoint and
Larne
The government has privately conceded there will be post-Brexit checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea, months after Boris Johnson insisted there would be no such trade barriers.
In a letter to the executive office in Stormont the government confirmed there would be border control posts in three ports, Belfast, Warrenpoint and Larne.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/13/brexit-will-mean-checks-on-goods-crossing-irish-sea-government-admits
EU and UK negotiators agreed on one thing on Friday - they'd made precious little progress in trade talks so far when it comes to the key sticking points between the two sides.
They include fish, competition rules, even the form the trade deal should take (one big agreement, as Brussels demands, or the UK preference for a number of mini deals alongside a basic free trade agreement).
Each side secretly, or not so secretly, views the other as misguided ideologues: The EU caricature, rigid with quasi-religious belief in the "integrity of the single market." The UK government stereotype, described off the record in EU circles, as unquestioning or unthinking believers in "national sovereignty over everything".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52686959?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/uk_leaves_the_eu&link_location=live-reporting-correspondent
As International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and the US trade representative Robert Lighthizer kick off talks remotely, they're hoping that a long distance courtship won't be an obstacle to deeper ties - a deal which boosts output and jobs by cutting the charges and restrictions on trade.
The "special relationship" is already a lucrative one. More than £220bn worth of goods and services are traded between the two nations, their companies responsible for millions of jobs on the other's home turf.
The UK is hoping to capitalise on its new-found ability to strike free-trade deals with more opportunities for exporters of cars, ceramics and whisky, for example.
However, this won't be an easy ride into the sunset.
Both sides are desperate for speed, to show at least some easy wins, perhaps in areas such as manufactured goods or financial services.
Starting gun to be fired on UK-US trade talks
Which countries does the UK do the most trade with?
But there are sticking points. The US wants more access for its farmers to British markets, cue talk of chlorinated chicken and hormone treated beef.
President Trump is unlikely to back down on this as he tries to woo voters ahead of an election in country where one in six workers have filed for unemployment benefits in recent weeks.
And more access is likely to mean the UK having to relax standards and regulations - that, along with areas such as pharmaceutical prices, will meet with strenuous opposition from this side of the water.
Even if these hurdles are overcome, the gains may be modest. The Department for International Trade's own analysis suggests that Britain's economy would be just 0.16% - or £3.4bn - bigger in 15 years - if all tariffs with the US are eliminated. And that scenario goes beyond the UK's objectives; in reality, the boost could be even smaller.
Brexit talks
Crucially, these are not the only trade talks troubling Whitehall's IT capability; those with Brussels over the future relationship with the EU stagger on.
Despite British hopes of a deal by the end of the year, and a refusal to extend the transition period, the Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has warned that the talks may reach crisis point unless progress is made soon.
The stakes there are even higher; studies suggest the gain from a US deal would only go a small way to compensate for the hit to UK growth from even a Free Trade Agreement with Europe compared to what may have resulted from continued membership of the EU. An even looser relationship with the EU with more restrictions would widen that gap.
The government is keen to use its new-found freedom on the trade circuit to show it can create new opportunities and prosperity.
But failure to deliver, or to carefully manage a delay, could come with a high price tag at this delicate point for the economy
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52545678
A new Brexit border in the Irish Sea will not be ready by Boris Johnson’s end-of-year deadline, according to a new analysis that warns more than 60 administrations, government departments and public bodies will be involved in overseeing the new system.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/johnsons-promised-brexit-border-in-irish-sea-will-not-be-ready-in-time/ar-BB14uVYE?ocid=spartandhp
A deep split has opened up in the Government over a trade deal with Donald Trump, with the Cabinet Minister in charge of negotiations accused of planning to turn Britain into a ‘pariah state’ by allowing the import of cheap foods pumped with antibiotics and hormones.
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has clashed with Environment Secretary George Eustice, who fears that Ms Truss is preparing to ditch the UK’s animal welfare and environmental standards in order to strike a deal with the White House after Britain’s transition period with the EU ends in December.
Mr Eustice is understood to be concerned that flooding the UK market with cheap American products could drive many British farmers out of business – but Ms Truss insists that she has no intention of lowering standards.
The row comes amid growing Tory concern over the Agriculture Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, because it does not set any environmental or welfare rules for farm imports after Brexit at the end of the year.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/60-days-to-save-the-british-family-farm-tories-rebel-as-trade-secretary-liz-truss-plots-to-betray-uk-farmers-for-trump-deal-that-could-see-stores-flooded-with-sub-standard-imports-as-agriculture-bill-may-become-law-by-july/ar-BB14viqF?ocid=spartandhp
A "new dynamism" is needed in the next round of post-Brexit UK-EU trade talks if they are to avoid a "stalemate", EU chief negotiator Michael Barnier says.
In a letter, he criticises the "tone" of his UK counterpart David Frost, but says talks could move forward with "constructive engagement by the UK".
He was responding to a letter written by Mr Frost which was critical of the EU's approach to the negotiations.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52739710