TELL BARNIER IT'S NO DEAL !

It appears that Michel Barnier and his cabal of dictatorial European Union bureaucrats have as much liking for Mrs May's 'Chequer's Deal' as have Boris Johnson, David Davis and others in this country.

Yesterday, after a meeting of senior EU figures, Barnier came to the rostrum to relay the message that Mrs May's proposals were, effectively, being rejected. He didn't quite say that, but he did imply that the UK's proposals were little more than an interesting starting point for discussions; he made it clear that the UK would be expected to make further concessions if a deal with the EU was to be achieved.

Barnier also talked about a no-deal situation and issued thinly veiled threats about the consequences of such an outcome. Given that Mrs May now has almost no wriggle-room with her own supporters, no-deal must now be a real possibility; some are suggesting that Parliament has lost control and is in such turmoil over the matter that the only way out is to hold a further referendum in order to ask the people for their view although why this would help is a bit of a mystery. Our politicians have already largely ignored the result of the original referendum so what why would they take notice now; on the one hand a vote confirming a wish to leave the EU would still find little favour with MP's while a vote to cancel the result of the original decision would create constitutional mayhem and a huge public outcry.

The EU seems to be operating on the basis that the UK government will make whatever concessions are demanded in order to obtain a deal while the UK government seems to be running scared of a no-deal outcome as the belief is that Parliament would not support this; in truth, this is all about brinkmanship. The EU needs the UK's money and trade and would be severely hurt if no deal can be agreed. Yes, the UK would also suffer in the short term but it would be free to take whatever steps were necessary to solve the resulting problems; it could make deals and arrive at agreements with others on a bipartisan basis without the need to satisfy the vested interests of 27 other countries as well.

The EU still harps on about the Irish border, the situation with Gibraltar and umpteen other parochial matters. The UK should tell them, firmly, that we've gone as far as we can; if the EU wants more, it will have to whistle. No Deal.