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And David Jones, vice president of the Eurosceptic European Research Group (ERG) said that the EU negotiator would do well to pay attention to one of his favorite phrases, explaining: “Time is ticking.” However, the Clwyd West MP said he remains pessimistic about the prospects for a deal, despite a recent suggestion by James Forsyth, political editor of The Spectator, that both sides were “moving toward a deal.”
Johnson earlier this month set the deadline when he confirmed the publication of the Internal Market Bill, which if given royal consent will controversially give the UK government powers to override aspects of the withdrawal agreement related to Northern Ireland.
Jones said there was very little time left, especially given Johnson’s deadline, which he appears to set aside Dec. 31, which will mark the end of the transition period.
He said: “Frankly, it’s not three months when you think about it because Boris already gave them this deadline so effectively that we are talking about two and a half weeks.”
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Barnier is well known for his metaphor related to clocks, but Jones suggested that it was now one that Brussels needed to apply to itself.
He explained, “It’s pretty cool to use because now the tables have been turned.
“The clock IS ticking, for the European Union.”
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“And if they expect that, then there isn’t going to be a deal, right?”
Speaking today, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, insisted that the clauses of the internal market bill that overwrite the withdrawal agreement will remain, regardless of the EU’s demands that they be removed.
Speaking after the talks with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, Gove told reporters: “We want to make sure that the Withdrawal Agreement is fully implemented.”
“But those clauses are there, they are in the legislation, supported by the House of Commons, as a safety net, if necessary.
“And those clauses will remain in that bill.”
Johnson had made it very clear that progress was needed in trade talks between chief negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost in order for the process to conclude on time, Gove said.
Regarding his conversations with Mr. Sefcovic, Mr. Gove said: “We had a constructive meeting.
“We were both clear with each other that we were still at a certain distance, but we were both also clear that we wanted to close that gap.”
“Maros Sefcovic and I are committed to using every available moment – every second, every minute, every hour – to reach an agreement and I am confident that we will.”
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