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| Version 24 | Version 25 |
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| Cameron: 'no cabinet meeting tonight' as EU talks continue – live | Cameron: 'no cabinet meeting tonight' as EU talks continue – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 7.56pm GMT | |
| 19:56 | |
| Shakespearean quotes, gift-wrapped editions of Beatrix Potter, Belgian surrealism... plus a large helping of backstabbing and brinkmanship. | |
| It could only be the last 48 hours in Brussels, from where the Guardian’s Ian Traynor has filed this account of events as they unfolded. A snippet: | |
| The British side let it be known that Cameron sought to woo the federalist Michel by presenting him with a French edition of the works of Beatrix Potter for a new-born daughter. | |
| In fact, the books were gifted a fortnight ago during the international Syria conference in London. | |
| Enda Kenny, the taoiseach and Cameron’s biggest champion at the summit, took to quoting Macbeth along the lines of if this had to be done, best to get it done quickly. Macbeth, of course, was talking of murder, a point perhaps lost on most of Kenny’s audience. | |
| Read on here.. | |
| 7.48pm GMT | |
| 19:48 | |
| Potentially massive news that Mike Read’s UKIP calypso might be making something of a return in a revised form (maybe). | |
| A Brexit version of Mike Read's UKIP calypso is in the making I am told. Or is it a wind up. | |
| Either way, surely it’s an excuse to have a listen again to the original again, for which Read apologised following criticism that it was racist. | |
| Of course, let’s not forget ‘UKIP Calypso - A Response’. | |
| 7.38pm GMT | |
| 19:38 | |
| The 1,000-seater auditorium is full for tonight’s Grassroots Out rally, adds Ewen Macaskill, with about a couple of hundred more lining the sides. | |
| Each seat had a bar of ‘Dave’s Finest EU Vanilla Fudge’. | |
| 7.34pm GMT | 7.34pm GMT |
| 19:34 | 19:34 |
| The gaps are narrowing back in Brussels meanwhile, say British sources, but none of the problem issues have been solved. | The gaps are narrowing back in Brussels meanwhile, say British sources, but none of the problem issues have been solved. |
| The Guardian’s Jennifer Rankin reports that negotiators on both sides have turned to the favourite cliche of EU summits: “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.” | The Guardian’s Jennifer Rankin reports that negotiators on both sides have turned to the favourite cliche of EU summits: “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.” |
| She’s also filed a piece on the sticking points that still need to be ironed out, namely: | She’s also filed a piece on the sticking points that still need to be ironed out, namely: |
| Some movement is in hand in relation to the emergency brake at least, according to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg | Some movement is in hand in relation to the emergency brake at least, according to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg |
| Meanwhile in Brussels it sounds like PM might get his emergency brake for 7 years - that would be a big point for them to claim | Meanwhile in Brussels it sounds like PM might get his emergency brake for 7 years - that would be a big point for them to claim |
| 7.28pm GMT | 7.28pm GMT |
| 19:28 | 19:28 |
| Brexit campaigners rally in London | |
| Nigel Farage disputed a suggestion that tonight’s London launch of the anti-EU Grassroots Out movement was looking like falling flat, reports the Guardian’s Ewen MacAskill. | Nigel Farage disputed a suggestion that tonight’s London launch of the anti-EU Grassroots Out movement was looking like falling flat, reports the Guardian’s Ewen MacAskill. |
| There had been an expectation of a night of drama, with the GO conference at the centre of it. The EU would have reached an agreement by the time the meeting began, the cabinet would have met and a string of cabinet ministers would trundle over to the GO gathering at the QE2 centre across from parliament. But there is no deal, no cabinet meeting and little anticipation of any cabinet ministers turning up. | There had been an expectation of a night of drama, with the GO conference at the centre of it. The EU would have reached an agreement by the time the meeting began, the cabinet would have met and a string of cabinet ministers would trundle over to the GO gathering at the QE2 centre across from parliament. But there is no deal, no cabinet meeting and little anticipation of any cabinet ministers turning up. |
| Asked by the Guardian about the impact of the absence of cabinet ministers, Farage, in the foyer of the conference centre and wearing a black and lurid green-striped GO tie, asked who had suggested there would be cabinet ministers. “The media? I have given up on them,” he said, turning away. | Asked by the Guardian about the impact of the absence of cabinet ministers, Farage, in the foyer of the conference centre and wearing a black and lurid green-striped GO tie, asked who had suggested there would be cabinet ministers. “The media? I have given up on them,” he said, turning away. |
| He hesitated and came back. | He hesitated and came back. |
| What you are witnessing here with GO is a genuine grassroots getting together of people. But significantly this crosses the political divide. And all the press talk about are Conservative cabinet ministers. | What you are witnessing here with GO is a genuine grassroots getting together of people. But significantly this crosses the political divide. And all the press talk about are Conservative cabinet ministers. |
| Now I am not saying they are not significant or important. They are. I read the newspapers in Britain and everyone has forgotten it was the trade union movement and the left which were traditionally very worried about European union and what you will see tonight is left and right coming together with the united aim of divorcing ourselves from political union | Now I am not saying they are not significant or important. They are. I read the newspapers in Britain and everyone has forgotten it was the trade union movement and the left which were traditionally very worried about European union and what you will see tonight is left and right coming together with the united aim of divorcing ourselves from political union |
| Farage added that the public dislike squabbling politicians squabbling and the sight of politicians normally opposed to one another coming together on the stage tonight will be impressive. | Farage added that the public dislike squabbling politicians squabbling and the sight of politicians normally opposed to one another coming together on the stage tonight will be impressive. |
| Updated | |
| at 7.38pm GMT | |
| 7.21pm GMT | 7.21pm GMT |
| 19:21 | 19:21 |
| Here’s a list of the speakers at the ‘Grassroots Out’ rally in London: | Here’s a list of the speakers at the ‘Grassroots Out’ rally in London: |
| • David Davis, Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Howden• William Cash, Conservative MP for Stone• Nigel Farage, MEP for the South East of England and Leader of UKIP• Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall• Tom Pursglove, Conservative MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire• Peter Bone, Conservative MP for Wellingborough• Ruth Lea, Economist• John Foreman, trade union activist | • David Davis, Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Howden• William Cash, Conservative MP for Stone• Nigel Farage, MEP for the South East of England and Leader of UKIP• Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall• Tom Pursglove, Conservative MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire• Peter Bone, Conservative MP for Wellingborough• Ruth Lea, Economist• John Foreman, trade union activist |
| The Guardian’s Robert Booth spent some time last week looking at the Grassroots Out campaign (GO!) group, which pitches itself as the anti-establishment campaign to leave the EU. | The Guardian’s Robert Booth spent some time last week looking at the Grassroots Out campaign (GO!) group, which pitches itself as the anti-establishment campaign to leave the EU. |
| Related: EU referendum: Grassroots Out brings 'a hint of the Trump' to middle England | Related: EU referendum: Grassroots Out brings 'a hint of the Trump' to middle England |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.24pm GMT | at 7.24pm GMT |
| 7.20pm GMT | 7.20pm GMT |
| 19:20 | 19:20 |
| Brexit campaigners have been gathering at the Westminster’s QEII centre in London tonight for a major rally. | Brexit campaigners have been gathering at the Westminster’s QEII centre in London tonight for a major rally. |
| Those on the bill include the UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, as well as Conservatives including MP Peter Bone. UKIP members and others have been tweeting pictures of the scene: | Those on the bill include the UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, as well as Conservatives including MP Peter Bone. UKIP members and others have been tweeting pictures of the scene: |
| '@Grassroots_Out standing room only, perhaps the biggest ever anti-EU meeting in history of UK. pic.twitter.com/QVGwjB9Iro | '@Grassroots_Out standing room only, perhaps the biggest ever anti-EU meeting in history of UK. pic.twitter.com/QVGwjB9Iro |
| 7.02pm GMT | 7.02pm GMT |
| 19:02 | 19:02 |
| Cameron braced for larger than expected cabinet backlash | Cameron braced for larger than expected cabinet backlash |
| David Cameron is now braced for an announcement by Michael Gove, one of his closest cabinet allies, that he will abandon the prime minister and join the campaign to take Britain out of the EU. | David Cameron is now braced for an announcement by Michael Gove, one of his closest cabinet allies, that he will abandon the prime minister and join the campaign to take Britain out of the EU. |
| As negotiations at a summit in Brussels on his EU reform plans dragged into a second night, the Guardian’s team in Brussels also report that there were growing fears that the prime minister faces a larger than expected cabinet backlash against the deal. | As negotiations at a summit in Brussels on his EU reform plans dragged into a second night, the Guardian’s team in Brussels also report that there were growing fears that the prime minister faces a larger than expected cabinet backlash against the deal. |
| A move by Gove, the justice secretary, to support a Brexit will electrify the Leave side in the EU referendum and put pressure on Boris Johnson to follow his lead. The London mayor has caused some irritation in Downing Street by making a series of demands – firstly for two referendums, and then a declaration of the sovereignty of parliament – while claiming he cannot make up his mind. | A move by Gove, the justice secretary, to support a Brexit will electrify the Leave side in the EU referendum and put pressure on Boris Johnson to follow his lead. The London mayor has caused some irritation in Downing Street by making a series of demands – firstly for two referendums, and then a declaration of the sovereignty of parliament – while claiming he cannot make up his mind. |
| Gove has made clear in semi-private that he has been torn between the profound belief that Britain should break free from the shackles of EU membership and loyalty to the prime minister and the chancellor. | Gove has made clear in semi-private that he has been torn between the profound belief that Britain should break free from the shackles of EU membership and loyalty to the prime minister and the chancellor. |
| The justice secretary knows that joining the Leave campaign could terminate the political careers of his two great friends and boost the leadership chances of Theresa May and Boris Johnson. | The justice secretary knows that joining the Leave campaign could terminate the political careers of his two great friends and boost the leadership chances of Theresa May and Boris Johnson. |
| 6.58pm GMT | 6.58pm GMT |
| 18:58 | 18:58 |
| The latest scheduled time for tonight’s working dinner involving EU leaders in Brussels is 8.30pm. | The latest scheduled time for tonight’s working dinner involving EU leaders in Brussels is 8.30pm. |
| Rather incredibly perhaps, it’ll be the first time that all 28 will have been in the same room today. | Rather incredibly perhaps, it’ll be the first time that all 28 will have been in the same room today. |
| Meanwhile, here’s your one stop shop for the whole ‘English breakfast/brunch/dinner/dog’s breakfast’ affair: | Meanwhile, here’s your one stop shop for the whole ‘English breakfast/brunch/dinner/dog’s breakfast’ affair: |
| Related: EU talks: how an English breakfast became an English dinner | Related: EU talks: how an English breakfast became an English dinner |
| 6.33pm GMT | 6.33pm GMT |
| 18:33 | 18:33 |
| It’s still tough going, depending on who you listen to. Here’s one of the summit’s star tweeters, the Czech Republic’s State Secretary for European Affairs, translating a tweet from one of his fellow V4 members | It’s still tough going, depending on who you listen to. Here’s one of the summit’s star tweeters, the Czech Republic’s State Secretary for European Affairs, translating a tweet from one of his fellow V4 members |
| Negotiations not easy, edging only very slowly towards a solution. UK PM meets Czech PM representing Central Europe. https://t.co/rz0vLvjaEs | Negotiations not easy, edging only very slowly towards a solution. UK PM meets Czech PM representing Central Europe. https://t.co/rz0vLvjaEs |
| Also, turns out that the “V4” (not to be confused with the rocket of the same name) have a “war room” to deal with UK “demands”: | Also, turns out that the “V4” (not to be confused with the rocket of the same name) have a “war room” to deal with UK “demands”: |
| Visegrad war room running full speed ahead, finetuning possible solutions to #UK demands. #V4 #UKinEU pic.twitter.com/oldGk33irS | Visegrad war room running full speed ahead, finetuning possible solutions to #UK demands. #V4 #UKinEU pic.twitter.com/oldGk33irS |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.35pm GMT | at 6.35pm GMT |
| 6.23pm GMT | 6.23pm GMT |
| 18:23 | 18:23 |
| Struggling to keep track of which EU state is where? Here’s a Guardian graphic which might help. | Struggling to keep track of which EU state is where? Here’s a Guardian graphic which might help. |
| A crucial question in it all of course: Will that Beatrix Potter box-set help swing things with Belgium’s Charles Michel? | A crucial question in it all of course: Will that Beatrix Potter box-set help swing things with Belgium’s Charles Michel? |
| 6.16pm GMT | 6.16pm GMT |
| 18:16 | 18:16 |
| Hopes have been building in Brussels that a deal might be in the making this evening. | Hopes have been building in Brussels that a deal might be in the making this evening. |
| Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, said earlier that he believed all that the negotiators were close to a compromise this evening. Here’s the audio (via the BBC): | Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, said earlier that he believed all that the negotiators were close to a compromise this evening. Here’s the audio (via the BBC): |