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British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has accused the EU of “not taking seriously” the commitments needed to secure a post-Brexit trade deal.
Having previously put the chances of a deal with the EU at 66%, he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday that the chances were now “lower.”
“It’s less. I can’t be precise, but one of the reasons why [it is less] It is the position that the leaders of the European Union have taken in recent weeks ”, he added.
“What we have seen and what our negotiators have found is that the European Union side has not been willing to produce the detailed legal text,” Gove said.
“They have not been willing to escalate the talks in a way that indicates that they really were willing to reach a serious agreement.
“They have also insisted that we accept a level of control over our autonomy that an independent country cannot really accept.
“And at the same time, they say they should continue to have exactly the same access, for example, to our fishing waters and fishing stocks as before.”
“And that seems to me to be the behavior of an organization and an institution that is not serious about making the necessary commitments to secure a deal.”
Gove said the ball is in the court of EU negotiator Michel Barnier on whether Brexit talks continue next week.
“The ball is in their court. We have made it clear that we need to see a change in the approach of the European Union.”
“I know you will call David Frost in the next few days, let’s see if the European Union appreciates the importance of reaching an agreement and the importance of gaining ground.”
Speaking later on the BBC, Gove said the door remains “ajar” for talks to continue on a post-Brexit trade deal if the European Union changes its approach.
“I think the EU ended the current round of talks last week. It was true that we were making progress, but then the EU pulled out of that,” he said.
When asked if the door was ajar for talks to continue, Gove replied: “It is ajar. We expect the EU to change their position; we are certainly not saying that if they change their position we cannot talk to them.” . “
Michael Gove said the UK is prepared to leave the EU on “Australian terms” but added “that will not be a picnic.”
Meanwhile, British groups representing 190,000 companies and seven million workers have urgently called for a trade deal to be reached before the UK leaves the EU.
Industry leaders in sectors such as automotive, aviation, chemicals, creative industries, agriculture, food and pharmaceuticals said they were united in calling for a quick deal for the sake of jobs and livelihoods.
The IWC and 71 independent trade associations and professional bodies said a deal would “speed up” trade preparations for Brexit and increase confidence in the UK as a place to invest, as well as help facilitate the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. .
A joint statement read: “Now is the time for historic political leadership. With commitment and tenacity, an agreement can be reached. The companies ask the leaders of both sides to find a route.”
Podcast: Republic of Brexit – Cross it out, the EU is canceled
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