Boris Johnson Denies the Laws of Gravity
Britain’s hardline stance on EU talks makes no deal possible. But it will be hard for the country to avoid the pull of its biggest trading partner forever.
Up in the air.
Photographer: STEFAN ROUSSEAU/AFPKnow that feeling when you’ve hit the snooze button and a blissful amount of time passes before another rude awakening? Well, nearly a month after celebrating Britain’s official European Union departure, Boris Johnson’s government is threatening to walk away from trade talks with the bloc if it doesn’t get what it wants. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to talk about, but the talks may have to break down before they can get started in earnest.
The U.K. published its 30-page negotiating mandate on Thursday for the EU trade talks that begin next week. The document, unsurprisingly, refers repeatedly to existing EU free trade agreements, with phrases like “in line with precedent.” Britain’s position is that what Brussels has given other countries like Canada, it can give to the U.K. The negotiations should be about the cherries on the cake. That’s not how Brussels sees it.