SOMEWHERE deep in Brussels there’s a room I think about seems to be like that scene on the finish of Raiders Of The Misplaced Ark.
Buried in a submitting cupboard, there may be the draft textual content of an EU-UK Defence and Safety Treaty negotiated by Theresa Could and her soft-Brexit gang.
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However whereas the Europeans had been doing their standard “nein, non, no” act, Could was booted out and the doc was saved as a historic memento . . . or so we thought.
Now with the soft-Brexit gang again in management below Sir Keir Starmer, the mud is being blown off what I’m advised is an already pretty hefty authorized textual content.
Again we go into the orbit of the EU, with the PM publicly confirming final night time he’s in search of the identical safety deal, regardless of us already being entrance and centre of the world’s most profitable defence accord already: Nato.
“I’m not pushed by ideology, however by what’s finest for my nation,” our adenoidal new premier claimed.
“I imagine that the UK and the EU working collectively as sovereign companions are a robust drive for good throughout our continent”.
As Sir Keir Returner back-slapped Emmanuel Macron and supped Guinness with the Taoiseach, the Europeans may barely conceal their glee.
All these nasty Brexiteers that had made the lives of the gilded Euro-elite so ’orrible had been gone.
And when the PM took the knee to the European Conference on Human Rights there was a spontaneous rendition of La Marseillaise from the EU leaders, just like the bar in Casablanca.
Effectively not fairly, however as Eire’s Simon Harris purred on the European Political Neighborhood assembly at Oxfordshire’s wonderful Blenheim Palace: “There’s been a gamechanger now.”
And he patted Starmer on the pinnacle for saying, “very publicly right here as we speak in entrance of European Union leaders and others from the European household, that he desires to have a more in-depth relationship with Europe . . . the significance of multilateralism, staying inside the ECHR”.
Given how disgracefully the Irish behaved as Brussels’ puppet throughout these lengthy years of Brexit negotiations, warning bells ought to be ringing.
All of the incorrect persons are smiling . . .
As Starmer gushed final night time: “The impression I get is that there’s a actual urge for food” for shut ties with the UK.”
Sure, Prime Minister, they’re going to eat your breakfast.
For all the grins and handshakes, what Starmer has nonetheless not advised us is what he’s keen to give up for these nearer ties
Harry Cole
As former EU negotiator Lord Frost warned on By no means Thoughts The Ballots a number of weeks in the past: “If the EU offers you one thing, it desires one thing again.”
‘By no means sufficient’
For all the grins and handshakes, what Starmer has nonetheless not advised us is what he’s keen to give up for these nearer ties.
As Frost stated: “As we discovered, and each British chief has discovered, doing a deal or coming to an understanding with a European chief isn’t sufficient.
“The EU has tons and many its personal collective pursuits so due to this fact by no means ever offers something away.”
So what’s on the menu to feed that urge for food, Sir Keir? And if I’ll, how can anybody have a look at what’s going on throughout the Channel proper now and assume, “Ooh la la, let’s have a few of that”?
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Macron has had a few of the smugness wiped off his face by his humbling on the poll field.
His botched try and see off the Proper now leaves the poor French dealing with rule by a ragtag alliance of socialists and outdated communists.
No marvel he’s lastly keen to be extra cooperative on migrants abruptly.
Good negotiations
The forecasters predict that subsequent 12 months we’ll develop quicker than France and Germany — their cities unrecognisable in locations.
Hungary is sucking as much as Putin.
And the Spanish?
Effectively, look no nearer than them celebrating their Euros win with a very good outdated refrain of “Gibraltar es Espana”.
Brussels is so riven that EU President Ursula von der Leyen couldn’t even make yesterday’s summit as she was pressured to remain on the EU Parliament to beg for votes to remain in her job.
She scraped via although she was the only candidate.
And but the PM is providing up all the pieces to them on a plate?
They need to be begging us for nearer ties, not the opposite means round.
Good negotiations come from a place of power, not neediness.
In case you are hell-bent on reopening all these tedious years of talks Sir Keir, no less than play it cool a bit.
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Tory turmoil
WHAT occurs if Rishi Sunak decides that subsequent week’s PMQs is kind of sufficient service to the Tories and cuts brief his time as Chief of the Opposition?
Who may blame him, frankly?
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He had a giant photograph of his spouse and children on the within of his briefing notes when talking within the Commons this week, so he’s clearly bought his eyes on the exit.
I hear ex-Deputy PM Oliver Dowden has made it clear he has no real interest in being interim chief and probably responding to a Finances in September.
As an alternative the lads in gray fits at Wednesday’s assembly of the 1922 Committee had been pushing ex-Tory chief Sir Iain Duncan Smith to step up.
It might be fairly the comeback for the quiet man.
Morgan floored by boss sue
SOME in No10 are discovering it more durable to get their ft below their new desks than others.
Fairly actually within the case of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s marketing campaign guru turned Director of Political Technique, who has discovered his desk moved not as soon as however twice in simply two weeks.
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Every time he has bought slightly additional away from the boss.
Insiders attempt to play down any concept of a turf warfare between him and Starmer’s omnipotent Chief of Workers Sue Grey . . . however she does management the floorplan.
One thing is amiss behind that well-known black door, although, after a marketing campaign of inflexible message self-discipline.
An incendiary briefing to The Instances about Grey being accused of bypassing ministers to meddle in a £300million contract for the Northern Eire soccer stadium had Labour aides’ jaws on the ground.
I assumed the grown-ups had been meant to be again in cost?
