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Boris Johnson had set a deadline from last week’s European Council summit of bloc leaders in Brussels to have a Brexit trade deal agreed with the EU before the end of the transition period on December 31. But the prime minister and his chief negotiator Lord Frost accused the EU leadership of “abandoning the idea of a free trade agreement” before warning Britain in a televised statement that now is the time to prepare for a no-deal Brexit. . Following the conclusion of the EU summit, Lord Frost told his Brussels counterpart Michel Barnier that there was no point coming to London for further talks next week.
EU leaders and officials have continued to retaliate, claiming that the UK government is to blame for the breakdown of the talks due to its unwillingness to compromise.
Fishing has been a key obstacle in the negotiations, and Emmanuel Macron insisted that the access of his country’s fishermen to British waters should not be compromised as part of any agreement between London and Brussels.
During the summit in Brussels last week, he warned that “our fishermen will not be victims of Brexit”, adding: “We did not make that decision. The British people did.” He also warned that France is ready for a no-deal outcome.
Now readers of Express.co.uk have strongly pointed to the French president as the main cause of the latest breakdown in the UK-EU talks.
Brexit news: Emmanuel Macron has been blamed for the latest stalemate in trade deal talks (Image: GETTY)
Brexit news: Boris Johnson issued a significant warning to the EU (Image: DOWNING STREET / PA)
The latest poll, which was conducted from 1pm to 8pm on Sunday October 18 and counted with over 10,000 votes cast, asked: “Who is causing the stalling of the UK-EU trade deal? ? “
Of the seven available options, a whopping 61 percent (6,270 readers) blamed Macron for triggering the latest collapse in trade deal negotiations.
More than a quarter (27 percent or 2,728 readers) voted for the EU’s top Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, who has had crucial talks with his British counterpart Lord Frost in recent weeks.
They were followed by Johnson (6%), Angela Merkel (3%) and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, with 2% of the votes.
READ MORE: Brexit LIVE: EU embarrassed after trying to ‘run the clock’ with Boris
Brexit news: almost a third of Express.co.uk readers voted for Emmanuel Macron (Image: EXPRESS)
Less than one percent (66 readers) blamed Lord Frost, while only one percent (155 readers) were undecided.
Readers of Furious Express.co.uk criticized Macron, focusing on his particularly aggressive stance on fisheries in trade deal negotiations.
One said: “Unfortunately, the delusional Macron has interfered and collapsed the talks.
“Once French fishermen realize that they can no longer fish in British territorial waters, they will go ballistic, their political career will be over.”
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Brexit news: more than a quarter of readers voted for Michel Barnier (Image: GETTY)
Brecxit news: more talks in London this week are hanging by a thread (Image: GETTY)
Commenting on France, another reader wrote: “Your super trawlers are destroying our seabed and ruining fish stocks and the environment.
“Well, have a few months of restlessness from the French captains, then they will get bored and think of something else to do.
“Our fishing industry was devastated by the agreements with the EU and it is time we started it again.
They added: “Germany will suffer more for not exporting their cars to us, so soon the EU industry will kick their butt and beg us to get back to trading.”
Brexit news: the transition period ends on December 31 (Image: EXPRESS)
A third person commented: “Macron threatening to stop our power supply now makes me even more determined that we should tell them to do one.
“Friends of the canal? Pile of garbage! They have never been our ‘friends.
Elsewhere, another Express.co.uk reader urged the UK to walk away from trade talks with the EU without a deal.
They said: “The EU had no intention of NEVER allowing the UK to leave, therefore there was no need to negotiate a trade deal!”
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has insisted the door was still “ajar” for post-Brexit trade talks to continue with the EU.
Brexit news: Michael Gove said door is still ‘ajar’ for more trade talks (Image: GETTY)
But he accused EU officials of not taking the commitments seriously and said they would have to backtrack if Barnier resumed negotiations in London this week.
When asked if the door is still open for talks, he told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “It is ajar. We hope the EU will change their position, we are certainly not saying that if they change their position we can.” they “.
Gove could also resume talks with Barnier, to which he replied: “The ball is in his court.
“We have made it clear that we need to see a change in the approach of the European Union.
“I know you will be calling David Frost in the course of the next few days; let’s see if the European Union appreciates the importance of reaching an agreement and the importance of gaining ground.”
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