BRITAIN is set to make a “very generous” Brexit compromise in order to seal a deal, Micheal Gove said today ahead of Boris’ dash to Brussels.
The PM will tonight have a crunch dinner with EU boss Ursula Von Der Leyen as he tries to salvage the chances of getting a deal done in time for New Year.
He was hopeful that the pair can “thrash out a potential way through”.
Speaking to Radio 4 he added:
“I think there can be scope for compromise but the compromise exists on the way in which European boats can continue to access UK waters.
“But what is not up for compromise is the principle that the UK will be an independent coastal state and it will be a matter for negotiation between the UK and the EU, with the UK in control of our waters.”
And he said the UK are prepared to be “very generous” about the way the changes are phased in.
But yesterday the PM warned he was already at the “limit” of what he could accept as a Brexit deal – and still could “draw stumps’ if there is no progress tonight.
“Our friends have just got to understand the UK has left the EU in order to be able to exercise democratic control over the way we do things,” he said last night.
It came as:
- Merkel said there was still a chance of a deal – but admitted that No Deal could happen
- Talks could go on until Christmas or even down to the wire at New Year if negotiations can be restarted tonight
- Bitter splits opened up among the EU leaders over control of talks
- Yesterday a deal over Northern Ireland was secured – raising hopes of a Brexit agreement
Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel said today that a deal could still happen.
She said today: “There is still the chance of an agreement.
“One thing is clear – the integrity of the internal market must be preserved.
“If there are conditions from the British side which we cannot accept, we are prepared to go down a road which is without an exit agreement.”
