Pointing fingers
It was a bad-tempered week in Brexit
With such a massive shift in the political landscape on the horizon it was bound to happen, but lots of Brexit players were a bit tetchy this week.
Who leaked?
Rather than anything that happened around the negotiating table, it was talk of what did (or didn’t) happen around the dinner table that caused the first big row. If you thought your family meals were fractious, you might want to avoid a dinner invitation from Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker.
Someone 👀 , leaked an unflattering account of Theresa May to the media. Nick Timothy, the prime minister’s former chief-of-staff accused his old opposite number in Juncker’s office, Martin Selmayr, of blabbing to the press. Enraged, Selmayr bit back.
Don’t poke the academics
A Conservative MP has managed to provoke the mild-mannered academics of the land. Eurosceptic government whip Chris Heaton-Harris, wrote to British universities asking for the names of professors who teach Brexit courses. Cue accusations of a “McCarthyite” witch hunt.
No 10 quickly distanced themselves from the letter, but other colleagues rallied around the inquisitive minister, who said he was researching for a book.
Never one to miss a controversial front page, the Daily Mail used the episode as an opportunity to highlight the Remain-heavy attitudes of the academic community.
Vote or no vote
The prime minister and her Brexit minister suffered a misalignment of messages over the question of when parliament will be given a vote on the final Brexit deal. David Davis created confusion by revealing Parliament may not get a vote on the final EU exit deal until after Britain has left. No 10 begged to differ.
Talkin’ bout transition
Big business doesn’t like uncertainty and the issue of the post-Brexit transition deal is making CEOs nervous.
How long will it be? The government are aiming for two years, but the EU is making noises about 20 months. Business would like as long as possible….
You’re welcome
Away from the drama of leaks and rows, there are worried citizens around Europe wondering whether or not they will be able to stay in their country of residence after Brexit. Whilst there are no firm guarantees, Spain has said that Brits in the country will be welcome to stay. From our side, our foreign secretary Boris Johnson has spoken out to reassure EU citizens living in the UK that they will be protected “whatever happens”.
