MORE EU BLUSTER.

As the European Union forged a supposed 'agreement' on the vexed matter of migration, one of its leading figures, Donald Tusk, set about telling the UK that quick progress was now needed on a number of issues if a Brexit deal was to be agreed by October. What a hoot !

The 'agreement' on migration is nothing other than a vaguely worded fudge which has led to sharp disagreements between the various national leaders within hours of it being announced. However, and for reasons which are only too clear, a similarly fudged agreement regarding Brexit seems to be impossible. As has been the case all along, the EU simply keeps demanding that the UK produce answers to all of the bones of contention for fear of dire consequences if we don't.

Mr Tusk, who is President of the European Council (whatever that is) believes that the most difficult issues remain unresolved and wants the UK representatives to "lay their cards on the table" very quickly in order that a deal can be done. He makes no mention of the need for the EU to do anything similar, even though negotiation is usually a 2-way process. As far as the EU is concerned, it's for the UK to make all of the proposals and for the EU to simply tell us that the ideas are no good, the aim being to end up with such a watered down version of Brexit that we might as well stay in the dreadful organisation.

Well Mr Tusk, perhaps you've forgotten the phrase "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed". You may go on about issues such as the puffed up 'Irish Border' problem but the UK actually has the whip hand, if only we would use it. In the absence of an agreement, it is the EU which will suffer a huge potential loss through reduced trade and it will lose some £39bn of cash which it's expecting. The EU would be so diminished that it would crumble, whatever its arrogant bureaucrats might say. 

It is time for the EU to make some realistic proposals of its own, rather than sitting back in the smug conviction that the UK will ultimately see the error of its ways and agree to accept whatever the EU wants. Tusk, Barnier, Juncker and all the rest of these buffoons need to beware; the people of the UK can bite.