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One of the key figures in the Brexit talks has told Sky News that he is “deeply concerned” about the state of the negotiations.
German MEP David McAllister also says that trust in the British government has been “damaged” by recent disputes, and says a trade deal cannot be reached unless the British government withdraws its controversial Internal Market Act.
McAllister, chair of the UK coordination group in the European Parliament, which looks at Brexit negotiations, also told me that the bill was an “unacceptable threat” to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
David McAllister MEP says he is ‘deeply concerned’ by the state of Brexit negotiations
“This bill came out of nowhere and, beyond party lines in the European Parliament, we are deeply concerned,” he said.
“Not only because of the lack of progress in the negotiations, but also because of this bill. It clearly violates the withdrawal agreement, including the very sensitive protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.
“We will not ratify a future agreement with the UK if there is a threat to the Withdrawal Agreement. This has to be withdrawn.”
When asked if he was appeased by Neil’s amendment, which would require the House of Commons to vote before allowing the government to override the existing Brexit deal, McAllister shook his head.
He said: “We want an agreement, but a crucial pillar of our future relationship is that the Withdrawal Agreement must be fully implemented by both parties.
“The Withdrawal Agreement was ratified by the House of Commons, the member states and the European Parliament. It cannot be changed unilaterally. This is not how international politics works.
“Unfortunately, trust and confidence have been damaged. This is not helpful at this crucial stage in the negotiations.”
McAllister, whose father is Scottish, said he was still “confident” that a deal could be reached, but said the EU was now making important preparations before a possible “no deal” outcome.
“No one should underestimate the social and economic consequences of not reaching an agreement and I still think that it would be much, much better for both parties to reach an agreement,” he continued.
“We want to do this now, but confidence and security must be regained. The ball is on the British court, nowhere else.”
“We need a deal by the end of October, but if the UK continues to breach or threatens to breach the Withdrawal Agreement, we will not ratify a trade deal.”
“We have negotiated in good faith and we continue to negotiate in good faith. If you look at the events of the past week, it is quite obvious where trust has been broken.”
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The government has argued that its bill is designed to “protect employment and trade,” but high-level personalities within the cabinet have disagreed on whether or not the bill would violate international law.
Two days of informal Brexit talks took place this week in Brussels and negotiations will resume next week in London.
Both sides have said that any deal should be reached before the end of next month to be fully ratified by the end of the year, when the Brexit transition period comes to an end on December 31.
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