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| Version 19 | Version 20 |
|---|---|
| Cameron: 'no Cabinet meeting tonight' as EU talks continue – live | Cameron: 'no Cabinet meeting tonight' as EU talks continue – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 5.13pm GMT | |
| 17:13 | |
| Everyone should make compromises but those taking part in the talks “could be there” this evening, according to Bulgaria’s Deputy Foreign Minister. | |
| Rumen Alexandriv told the BBC that the “social part” of negotiations - and in particular proposed restrictions on benefits payments to the children of EU migrants working in the UK but who have offspring in their home countries - was an issue of sensitivity | |
| However, he signalled that a compromise might be possible in relation to the duration when such restrictions would apply after workers start receiving it. | |
| 5.10pm GMT | |
| 17:10 | |
| One particular sticking point in talks surrounds welfare payments to EU migrant workers in Britain, according to details coming out of a briefing by Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament | |
| Poland is putting some serious points on the tables about its citizens in the UK, according to the BBC. | |
| 5.06pm GMT | |
| 17:06 | |
| The Union flag is out for some updates on the British side, although no deal is in sight. | |
| Flags out in the UK press briefing room. The stage is set but still no deal pic.twitter.com/cgwk49BN9N | |
| 4.58pm GMT | |
| 16:58 | |
| More on that potentially important development in relation to Justice Secretary Michael Gove, who is now expected to back a UK departure from the European Union in the forthcoming referndum. | |
| The Spectator’s James Forsyth writes: | |
| If Gove has gone to Out, it will be a shot of pure adrenaline for the Out campaign. It will give it intellectual respectability and genuine Cabinet heft. | |
| The move will also confirm Gove’s status as a conviction politician. | |
| Updated | |
| at 4.59pm GMT | |
| 4.47pm GMT | |
| 16:47 | |
| Nicholas Watt | |
| Two key hurdles remain to be cleared later in the Brussels talks, according to the Guardian’s chief political correspondent, Nick Watt, who has filed this analysis of where things stand: | |
| First it was to be a full English breakfast, then an English lunch, then High Tea and now it is a plain old dinner. The full meeting of the European Council, suspended in the early hours of Friday morning, will reconvene for dinner at 7.00pm UK, to consider a text on the new settlement for the UK. | |
| The moment the leaders sit down will mark the moment that a deal is in sight because Donald Tusk, the European Council president, has indicated that he will not hold the meeting until he gets the nod from all 28 European leaders. | |
| But there will still be two hurdles to clear: the prime minister’s demand to embed the deal in a legally binding agreement has to be resolved and the formal conclusions of the European Council have to be agreed. | |
| The delayed dinner means that the prime minister has now abandoned plans to hold a cabinet meeting on Friday night. | |
| This will be delayed until Saturday, assuming a deal is reached overnight. That cabinet meeting will mark the most perilous moment of the prime minister’s career. He will formally ask the cabinet to endorse the deal but will then lift collective responsibility and allow cabinet ministers to campaign on either side in the referendum. | |
| There is a growing expectation in No 10 that Cameron’s close personal friend and cabinet ally Michael Gove wil take a different view to the prime minister and campaign to leave the EU. The move by Gove will put immense pressure on Boris Johnson (below) to follow his lead. | |
| 4.41pm GMT | |
| 16:41 | |
| Here’s what it looks like at the coalface, via a tweet from Donald Tusk’s office showing a tense looking David Cameron in talks with Tusk, Francois Hollande and Jean-Claude Juncker. Those flowers might be starting to wilt. | |
| Latest consultation on #UKinEU with @David_Cameron @JunckerEU @fhollande. #EUCO pic.twitter.com/JKaJH67WLT | |
| 4.28pm GMT | 4.28pm GMT |
| 16:28 | 16:28 |
| Cameron: Talks to go on this evening | Cameron: Talks to go on this evening |
| Negotiations are continuing into this evening, according to the prime minister. Is a deal on tonight? | Negotiations are continuing into this evening, according to the prime minister. Is a deal on tonight? |
| Negotiations are continuing into this evening. A Cabinet meeting won't be possible tonight. One will be held if and when a deal is done. | Negotiations are continuing into this evening. A Cabinet meeting won't be possible tonight. One will be held if and when a deal is done. |
| Among other effects, that’s a potential nightmare for newspapers and how headlines will be written when they go to press. | Among other effects, that’s a potential nightmare for newspapers and how headlines will be written when they go to press. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.29pm GMT | at 4.29pm GMT |
| 4.14pm GMT | 4.14pm GMT |
| 16:14 | 16:14 |
| Significant perhaps, although not entirely a shock: The prime minister is resigned to losing the justice secretary, Michael Gove, to the ranks of those who will campaign for a referendum vote in favour of the UK leaving the EU. | Significant perhaps, although not entirely a shock: The prime minister is resigned to losing the justice secretary, Michael Gove, to the ranks of those who will campaign for a referendum vote in favour of the UK leaving the EU. |
| Cameron circle now pretty much resigned to losing Michael Gove to the Out campaign once the deal is done. More soon on @SpecCoffeeHouse | Cameron circle now pretty much resigned to losing Michael Gove to the Out campaign once the deal is done. More soon on @SpecCoffeeHouse |
| As recently as two weeks ago, Gove had been regarded as more likely to join Cameron, George Osborne, and the foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, in campaigning to keep Britain in the EU. | As recently as two weeks ago, Gove had been regarded as more likely to join Cameron, George Osborne, and the foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, in campaigning to keep Britain in the EU. |
| 4.09pm GMT | 4.09pm GMT |
| 16:09 | 16:09 |
| There is confidence on the part of the Commission that a “conclusion” might be reached this evening at a working dinner (8pm local time), according to a commission spokesman who has been talking to journalists in Brussels in the last few minutes. | There is confidence on the part of the Commission that a “conclusion” might be reached this evening at a working dinner (8pm local time), according to a commission spokesman who has been talking to journalists in Brussels in the last few minutes. |
| 3.54pm GMT | 3.54pm GMT |
| 15:54 | 15:54 |
| The British are briefing journalists. Fingers crossed for some movement.. | The British are briefing journalists. Fingers crossed for some movement.. |
| Excited huddle taking place. We may actually get news shortly, and hopefully not just about food pic.twitter.com/GmOsXdGDCg | Excited huddle taking place. We may actually get news shortly, and hopefully not just about food pic.twitter.com/GmOsXdGDCg |
| 3.43pm GMT | 3.43pm GMT |
| 15:43 | 15:43 |
| When it comes to the crunch, eastern European countries states who have been battling the UK over welfare payment restrictions will eventually give ground, predicts the director of the Budapest-based think-tank Political Capital. | When it comes to the crunch, eastern European countries states who have been battling the UK over welfare payment restrictions will eventually give ground, predicts the director of the Budapest-based think-tank Political Capital. |
| It’s all about the “external legitimisation”- which the UK can give them apparently. Dan Nolan, for the Guardian, has been speaking to Péter Krekó. | It’s all about the “external legitimisation”- which the UK can give them apparently. Dan Nolan, for the Guardian, has been speaking to Péter Krekó. |
| His analysis analysis of Cameron, Hungary and the Visegrad Four is interesting: | His analysis analysis of Cameron, Hungary and the Visegrad Four is interesting: |
| While of course there are disagreements and some tensions in the talks, after David Cameron visited Budapest last month, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán talked about the new axis of Great Britain plus the Visegrad Four, who he said should set the direction of a less integrated Europe that is more built on economic cooperation than political cooperation. | While of course there are disagreements and some tensions in the talks, after David Cameron visited Budapest last month, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán talked about the new axis of Great Britain plus the Visegrad Four, who he said should set the direction of a less integrated Europe that is more built on economic cooperation than political cooperation. |
| My feeling is the Eastern European countries are willing to give up some their current advantages, for example on the EU labour market, in return for external legitimisation from Cameron. | My feeling is the Eastern European countries are willing to give up some their current advantages, for example on the EU labour market, in return for external legitimisation from Cameron. |
| For example it is very rare for Orbán to hold bilateral meetings with Western European politicians, and he is still quite isolated and very frequently criticised. But then Cameron, an unquestionably democratic Western leader comes to Hungary and is quite friendly. | For example it is very rare for Orbán to hold bilateral meetings with Western European politicians, and he is still quite isolated and very frequently criticised. But then Cameron, an unquestionably democratic Western leader comes to Hungary and is quite friendly. |
| Here is some more background from earlier this week, by the Guardian’s Europe Editor, Ian Traynor: | Here is some more background from earlier this week, by the Guardian’s Europe Editor, Ian Traynor: |
| Related: Four EU states reject Cameron's migrant benefits plan | Related: Four EU states reject Cameron's migrant benefits plan |
| 3.31pm GMT | 3.31pm GMT |
| 15:31 | 15:31 |
| A good day to bury bad (or no) news? The Guardian’s Rowena Mason points out that Britain’s Department of Work and Pensions have chosen to publish a potentially key document which is supposed to describe its priority objectives for 2015 to 2020. | A good day to bury bad (or no) news? The Guardian’s Rowena Mason points out that Britain’s Department of Work and Pensions have chosen to publish a potentially key document which is supposed to describe its priority objectives for 2015 to 2020. |
| Single departmental plans sneaked out on Friday in recess+ day of EU summit - little/no detail of where cuts to fall https://t.co/3xTXClyT5F | Single departmental plans sneaked out on Friday in recess+ day of EU summit - little/no detail of where cuts to fall https://t.co/3xTXClyT5F |
| 3.25pm GMT | 3.25pm GMT |
| 15:25 | 15:25 |
| An ominous sign perhaps. The Czech State Secretary for European Affairs says he’s becoming “more and more perplexed” by the British approach to “non-negotiation” | An ominous sign perhaps. The Czech State Secretary for European Affairs says he’s becoming “more and more perplexed” by the British approach to “non-negotiation” |
| As the time passes, I am more and more perplexed by the #British approach of non-negotiation. Quite unorthodox, to say the least. | As the time passes, I am more and more perplexed by the #British approach of non-negotiation. Quite unorthodox, to say the least. |
| The Czechs are among those leading central European countries that demand limits on proposed cuts in benefits for EU workers in Britain. | The Czechs are among those leading central European countries that demand limits on proposed cuts in benefits for EU workers in Britain. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.32pm GMT | at 3.32pm GMT |
| 3.16pm GMT | 3.16pm GMT |
| 15:16 | 15:16 |
| So now it’s an “English dinner” according to Donald Tusk’s spokesman: | So now it’s an “English dinner” according to Donald Tusk’s spokesman: |
| Now "English dinner" with time tbc. Bilateral consultations continue. #EUCO #UKinEU | Now "English dinner" with time tbc. Bilateral consultations continue. #EUCO #UKinEU |
| At this rate it’s going to be a Sunday roast with all the trimmings. | At this rate it’s going to be a Sunday roast with all the trimmings. |
| A little recap might be in order. As we reported earlier, officials in Brussels had originally referred to the final session as “the English breakfast”, summoning up visions of hungry leaders tucking into a hearty fry-up as they handed the PM his deal. | A little recap might be in order. As we reported earlier, officials in Brussels had originally referred to the final session as “the English breakfast”, summoning up visions of hungry leaders tucking into a hearty fry-up as they handed the PM his deal. |
| As rumours of dissent around the table began to emerge on Thursday, however, the schedule began to slip and word in the Council’s Justus Lipsius building was that the meeting was turning into an “English brunch”. Then it was a lunch. Now it’s a dinner. | As rumours of dissent around the table began to emerge on Thursday, however, the schedule began to slip and word in the Council’s Justus Lipsius building was that the meeting was turning into an “English brunch”. Then it was a lunch. Now it’s a dinner. |
| All clear? Good. | All clear? Good. |
| Spare a thought for Poland’s foreign minister however: | Spare a thought for Poland’s foreign minister however: |
| Polish European Minister asked if he's cancelled his weekend plans to stay in Brussels. "I had no weekend plans", he replies, meekly. | Polish European Minister asked if he's cancelled his weekend plans to stay in Brussels. "I had no weekend plans", he replies, meekly. |