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Yes, we have had "we're almost there" moments before
But we have not had one quite like this evening - where briefings from both
and 
sources were indicating that a Deal was on
But we have not had one quite like this evening - where briefings from both
and sources were indicating that a Deal was on
Even normally level headed journalists like @AlbertoNardelli @tconnellyRTE @pmdfoster seemed to think it was on, or at least very close
There were even rumours of statements from vdL (from @georgvh) and that a statement would come from Johnson (from @dianayz & others)
There were even rumours of statements from vdL (from @georgvh) and that a statement would come from Johnson (from @dianayz & others)
And then there was silence for an hour
And then there was nothing
All off, until tomorrow
And then there was nothing
All off, until tomorrow
The key to what happened is, I think, in this from Sebastian Fischer, COREPER II Spokesperson for Germany's Presidency of the Council of the EU: https://twitter.com/SFischer_EU/status/1341798424455372803
Any such briefing to Ambassadors would normally happen *before* any Deal was in the offing, and here we have a flat rejection that it will even happen tomorrow
Also that any Deal would happen so fast - given that we knew there were a whole slew of outstanding issues just this morning, not least 
, 
, and some loose ends of LPF - had given me some pause for thought
, , and some loose ends of LPF - had given me some pause for thought
I think then that Simon Usherwood has the essence of it - that one side was trying to bounce the other into a Deal - or perhaps even the negotiators in Brussels were trying to bounce capitals into a Deal https://twitter.com/Usherwood/status/1341818675297472517
Fischer not mincing his words would be consistent with that - the Member States of the EU are not ready for this - for reasons we do not yet know
The problem of course is one of trust - a commodity that has been in short supply throughout the negotiations to date. does not trust - at least since September and the fiasco of the Internal Market Bill
does not trust - at least since September and the fiasco of the Internal Market Bill
If it were trying to bounce into a Deal... well, you don't try that and not expect there to be any consequences
trying to bounce into a Deal... well, you don't try that and not expect there to be any consequences
This evening is not insignificant. We were - at least earlier in the evening - probably closer to a Deal than we have ever been before, although what happened subsequently may put a 
over it all once more
over it all once more
Tomorrow we might know...
/ends
/ends
