Brexit: Michel Barnier meets with UK arch-Remainers in Brussels as official talks stay deadlocked
The meeting will consider ‘the direction of talks’ and ‘future scenarios’ for the UK
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Your support makes all the difference.The EU’s chief negotiator held meetings with British arch-Remainers in Brussels on Monday as frustration at the deadlock in the official Brexit talks continues to mount.
A cross-party group of Nick Clegg, Ken Clarke and Andrew Adonis met with Michel Barnier and EU commissioner Pierre Moscovici in the EU capital, where The Independent understands, they discussed “future scenarios” and “the direction of talks”.
The delegation was organised by former Deputy Prime Minister Mr Clegg, who has known Mr Barnier for decades since they both worked at the commission. The group aims to show Brussels that the British public are not united behind Theresa May’s Brexit strategy.
The British Government and EU negotiators have still not scheduled any more rounds of official Brexit talks despite nearly a fortnight having elapsed since Theresa May and Jean-Clade Juncker called for an “acceleration” of progress.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels a spokesperson for the European Commission denied that the meetings amounted to shadow Brexit negotiations conducted behind the back of the British Government.
“There is a negotiating process, two negotiators. On the one side is the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, David Davis; and on the European side is the chief negotiator of the EU, Michel Barnier. Nobody else,” he said.
“As you will know from having studied the published agenda of Michel Barnier over these last couple of months, you will have seen that his door is always open for people who want to speak to him and his team across the political spectrum and from all walks of life, from all parties, whoever is interested to speak to Michel Barnier.”
A source close to Mr Clegg told The Independent: “This is an initiative by Nick Clegg. It’s a chance to talk to Michel Barnier about the direction of the talks and discuss future scenarios.”
The meetings follow discussions between EU chiefs and Jeremy Corbyn in Brussels earlier this month. That rendezvous took place while Theresa May attended a European Council summit in the city, where she was not given an opportunity to discuss Brexit face-to-face with other EU leaders.
He added: “As to the dates for the next round, I think this is still under discussion. Nothing there to announce.”
France’s former finance minister, Pierre Moscovici is the European Commissioner in charge of economics and finance, including issues like customs control. Michel Barnier is the EU’s chief negotiator and is responsible for talks with David Davis.
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