Only last
week, in a characteristically terse and
charmless intervention, he insisted that
Britain produce its Brexit proposals 'as
soon as this week'. I marvel that Mr Davis
can keep his cool under such provocation.
Then there is the irascible
Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's man in the talks, who
endlessly chides the Government. He declared its plan was 'not serious,
fair or even possible given the negotiating time remaining'. British
politicians needed 'to be more honest about the complexities Brexit
creates'.
Another member of the gang
is Donald Tusk, President of the EU Council. In an unusually
constructive statement on Tuesday, he said he was 'cautiously
optimistic' about the progress of talks. But he then spoilt it all by
insisting there was 'not sufficient progress yet' to begin discussions
over a trade deal.
By that he means the EU
sets the agenda and timetable for talks, not us. Brussels high-handedly
refuses to discuss post-Brexit trade arrangements until the Government
has agreed to a ransom payment, and offered acceptable safeguards about
the legal status of EU citizens in Britain and the border between
Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.