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Jeremy Hunt: Don't mistake politeness for weakness | Jeremy Hunt: Don't mistake politeness for weakness |
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Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has urged the EU not to mistake British politeness for weakness after Brexit negotiations reached an impasse. | Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has urged the EU not to mistake British politeness for weakness after Brexit negotiations reached an impasse. |
After rejecting the UK's proposals, Donald Tusk, head of the European Council, posted a provocative picture on Instagram featuring UK PM Theresa May "cherry-picking" a cake. | After rejecting the UK's proposals, Donald Tusk, head of the European Council, posted a provocative picture on Instagram featuring UK PM Theresa May "cherry-picking" a cake. |
Mr Tusk has since said he admires Mrs May, and a compromise is possible. | Mr Tusk has since said he admires Mrs May, and a compromise is possible. |
But Mr Hunt said Mr Tusk needed to avoid "revving up" the situation. | |
He insisted it was time for people in the EU "to step back from the abyss" of a no-deal Brexit, to "sit down and to talk to us about how we can make these sensible, concrete proposals actually work". | |
Mrs May tried to sell her proposals for the UK's future relationship with the EU at a summit in Salzburg, Austria, this week. | Mrs May tried to sell her proposals for the UK's future relationship with the EU at a summit in Salzburg, Austria, this week. |
The plan - the so-called Chequers agreement - was agreed by the UK government in July. | |
But EU leaders rejected a major part of her plan, saying the new economic partnership she had put forward would "not work" and risked "undermining the single market". | But EU leaders rejected a major part of her plan, saying the new economic partnership she had put forward would "not work" and risked "undermining the single market". |
Mrs May later delivered a speech in Downing Street in which she said the EU's rejection of her plan without offering an alternative was "unacceptable". | Mrs May later delivered a speech in Downing Street in which she said the EU's rejection of her plan without offering an alternative was "unacceptable". |
And on Saturday, Mr Hunt said the UK was still waiting for a "detailed response" from the EU and criticised its approach to negotiations so far. | |
"What Theresa May is saying is 'don't mistake British politeness for weakness'," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | |
"If you put us in a difficult corner, we will stand our ground - that is the kind of country we are. | |
"Insulting her on social media, getting to these stand-offs where you are calling people liars and so on is not the way we are going to get a solution to this difficult situation." | |
Mr Hunt refused to rule out the prospect that the government could now seek a simple, Canada-style free trade agreement - as many Conservative MPs want, rather than the more ambitious Chequers plan. | |
"I am not dismissing anything," he said. | |
"We think these proposals are better than the Canada proposals because they work better on the Northern Irish border." | |
On Friday, Mr Tusk said Britain had known about the EU's reservations over the Chequers plan for weeks. | On Friday, Mr Tusk said Britain had known about the EU's reservations over the Chequers plan for weeks. |
He added that EU leaders at the summit had treated her proposals with "all seriousness" and said he was "convinced that a compromise, good for all, is still possible". | He added that EU leaders at the summit had treated her proposals with "all seriousness" and said he was "convinced that a compromise, good for all, is still possible". |
The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 - but the two sides are trying to reach a deal on trade, and other areas of co-operation, by November so it can be ratified in time. | The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 - but the two sides are trying to reach a deal on trade, and other areas of co-operation, by November so it can be ratified in time. |