SHARE
COPY LINK

BREXIT

UK fears French could block Brexit plan, memo suggests

Handwritten notes by an aide to the Conservative government suggests London fears the French will try to stop Britain getting the Brexit deal it wants.

UK fears French could block Brexit plan, memo suggests
Photo: AFP

The handwritten notes were carried by an aide to the Conservative vice-chair Mark Field after a meeting at the Department for Exiting the European Union.

But unluckily for the careless aide and the embarrassed UK government they were photographed by an eagle-eyed snapper.

The stand-out note that has made the headlines in the UK was: “What’s the model: Have your cake and eat it,” a phrase famously used by UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson when suggesting Britain could remain a member of the single market without having to accept freedom of movement.

The British government has however denied that the note represents its official position.

However other notes caught on camera made headlines in France, one of which read “French likely to be most difficult”.

This suggests those in the Department for Exiting the European Union are worried that the French will be the biggest obstacle to Britain getting the kind of deal it wants, in other words staying in the single market.

The note suggested any chance of a free trade deal with EU partners will stumble on the services industry because the French were hoping to take advantage of Britain's exit.

The note says: “Manufacturing relatively straightforward; services harder because French hoping for business.”

Another handwritten comment appeared to make reference to the negotiating team that Britain will face in Brussels. The document read: “Very French. Need fair process guaranteed.”

In August the EU appointed Frenchman Michel Barnier as the man in charge of Brexit negotiations. The appointment was dubbed an “act of war” by the pro-Brexit press in Britain as Barnier is a veteran of tussles with the City of London.

The French government has repeatedly suggested the British can not just pick and choose the best bits about being in the EU when negotiating Brexit.

In October French President Francois Hollande sent one of the strongest warnings yet that Britain will have to pay a heavy price for leaving the European Union.

He called for “firmness” by the EU powers in Brexit negotiations to avoid the risk that other countries might seek to follow Britain's lead and leave the bloc.

The comments added to jitters on financial markets, where the pound suffered its biggest drop since Britain voted in a June referendum to leave the EU.

“There must be a threat, there must be a risk, there must be a price, otherwise we will be in negotiations that will not end well and, inevitably, will have economic and human consequences,” he said in a speech Thursday evening.

“Britain has decided on a Brexit, I believe even a hard Brexit. Well, we must go all the way with Britain's will to leave the European Union.

“We have to have this firmness” otherwise “the principles of the European Union will be questioned” and “other countries or other parties will be minded to leave the European Union in order to have the supposed benefits and no downsides or rules.”

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

TRAVEL NEWS

EES: Eurostar could limit services over new biometric passport checks

Eurostar could be forced to cut the number of trains when the EU's new biometric border checks (EES) are rolled out in October, the owner of London's St Pancras International Station has warned.

EES: Eurostar could limit services over new biometric passport checks

HS1, the owner of the station and operator of the high-speed line between London and the Channel tunnel, is the latest body to raise concerns over the impact on travel of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) checks that are set to come into force in October 2024.

The new system which requires citizens from outside the EU or Schengen area to register before entering the zone would lead to long delays and potential capping of services and passenger numbers, HS1 warned.

The company said it needed nearly 50 new EES kiosks to process passengers but the French government had only proposed 24.

In evidence to the European scrutiny select committee, HS1 wrote: “We are told that the proposed kiosks are ‘optional’ as the process can be delivered at the border, but without about 49 additional kiosks located before the current international zone [at St Pancras] there would be unacceptable passenger delays of many hours and potential capping of services.”

With just 24 kiosks, Eurostar would be unable to process all passengers, particularly at the morning peak, and this could “lead to services having to be capped in terms of passenger numbers”, HS1 warned, adding that simple space restrictions at St Pancras station would make the EES difficult to implement.

The EES will register non-EU travellers who do not require a visa (those with residency permits in EU countries do not need to register but will be affected by delays) each time they cross a border in or out of the Schengen area. It will replace the old system of manual passport-stamping.

It will mean facial scans and fingerprints will have to be taken in front of border guards at the first entry into the Schengen area.

Travel bosses have repeatedly raised the alarm about the possible delays this would cause, especially at the UK-France border, which is used by 11 million passengers each year who head to France and other countries across Europe.

Last week The Local reported warnings by officials that the new checks could lead to 14-hour queues for travellers heading to France.

Sir William Cash, Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee, said: “Queues of more than 14 hours; vehicles backed up along major roads; businesses starved of footfall: this evidence paints an alarming picture of the possible risks surrounding the Entry-Exit System’s implementation.

“Clearly, this policy could have a very serious impact, not only for tourists and travel operators but also for local businesses. I implore decision makers on both sides of the Channel to take note of this evidence.”

READ ALSO: What affect will the EES border system have on travel to France?

The Port of Dover has already been struggling with the increased checks required since Brexit and there are fears the situation could be even worse once the EES starts to operate.

Given the possible impacts, the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee last year launched an inquiry calling for views by affected entities with deadline for replies on January 12th 2024.

SHOW COMMENTS