The EU has to demand a treaty now to protect its citizens and Ireland from perfidious Brexiteers

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The Times reported (paywall) this morning that:

Negotiations on Britain's future trade agreement will continue only if last week's withdrawal deal is quickly turned into a legally binding treaty, European Union leaders will state.

A text to be agreed by them this week calls on Theresa May to “start drafting the relevant parts of the withdrawal agreement” into law.

In language aimed at David Davis, the Brexit secretary, they will warn that any attempt to backtrack on last Friday's agreement would result in the EU halting trade talks.

EU officials and diplomats were irritated by Mr Davis's remark at the weekend that the withdrawal agreement was just a “statement of intent”. “It's not helpful if people cast everything into doubt 24 hours later,” one source said.

And why not?

First, there is the perfidious Mr Davis to consider.

Second, there is the fact that no British parliament can bind another, but a Treaty can, and that matters when commitments for up to eight years are being made to secure a deal for EU citizens which are otherwise worthless.

Third, there is the Irish situation to resolve. Many Brexiteers are now saying 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed' but this is simply not true. The agreement with the EU says:

That is in complete contradiction to the claim made by May and others: as a result in the case of Ireland this commitment is binding, and not now a choice, whatever she says:

And if I was the EU, and Ireland, I'd be saying put that in both law and a Treaty or forget moving on.

To put it another way, it's time to stop kicking this issue into touch and for a decision to be made. I sincerely hope that in the light of UK comments since Friday that now happens.


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