UK and EU negotiators have agreed on a draft text laying out their future relationship.
The agreement comes ahead of an expected European Council summit on Sunday, when EU leaders will be asked to sign off on the terms of the UK’s divorce and the framework for a post-Brexit relationship.
Theresa May made an emergency dash to Brussels on Wednesday morning for an emergency meeting, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel threatened to scrap the ‘extraordinary’ leaders summit on Sunday, unless the deal was finalised beforehand.
The document, titled ‘Outline of the political declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the european union and the united kingdom’, runs at 26 pages long.
Last week, the government published a seven-page draft of the agreement, of which today’s is the ‘filled out’ version. The full draft can be read here.
EU leaders will now meet on Sunday with the hope of agreeing on the document.
Donald Tusk tweeted the following statement after the meeting:
I have just sent to EU27 a draft Political Declaration on the Future Relationship between EU and UK. The Commission President has informed me that it has been agreed at negotiators’ level and agreed in principle at political level, subject to the endorsement of the Leaders.
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) November 22, 2018
The prime minister addressed the Commons on Thursday, where she told MPs that the negotiations were close to bringing the Brexit process to a “final conclusion in the interest of all our people.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn responded to the announcement in the Commons: “This empty document could have been written two years ago. It’s peppered with phrases such as ‘the parties will look at’ ‘the parties will explore’, what on earth has the government been doing the last two years?”
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said the declaration added up to a ‘Blindfold Brexit’:
Just read Political Declaration. Lots of unicorns taking the place of facts about the future relationship. Fair play to the EU for pushing it as far as possible…but it adds up to a blindfold Brexit. Difficult issues unresolved – so extended transition/backstop almost certain.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) November 22, 2018
