'Sufficient progress' in Brexit talks announced after May's dash to Brussels
Source: The Guardian
Theresa May has heralded an agreement with the European commission to move the Brexit negotiations on to trade discussions as “hard won” and “in the interests of all” after days of intense bargaining at home and abroad.
The British prime minister and the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, announced the deal at a press conference early on Friday after May and David Davis, the UK’s Brexit secretary, travelled to Brussels for last-minute talks.
Juncker said “sufficient progress” had been made in the first phase of negotiations to allow movement to the next phase, while May said that the agreement ensured there would be “no hard border” in Ireland.
But the president of the European council, Donald Tusk, said soon afterwards that after months of negotiations over the opening issues of citizens’ rights, the divorce bill and the Irish border, the toughest talks were to come.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/08/sufficient-progress-in-brexit-talks-announced-after-mays-dash-to-brussels
The agreement promises to ensure there will be no hard border and to uphold the Belfast agreement.
It makes clear the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland, will be leaving the customs union.
It leaves unclear how an open border will be achieved but says in the absence of a later agreement, the UK will ensure “full alignment” with the rules of the customs union and single market that uphold the Good Friday agreement.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/dec/08/main-points-of-agreement-uk-eu-brexit-deal
This does look like they've done some proper negotiation - giving where they feel they can, keeping the important stances where they said they had to, and agreeing language with enough ambiguity or uncertainty to bridge the rest.
Live reaction:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2017/dec/08/brexit-border-eu-theresa-may-juncker-tusk-markets-live
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-42276855
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