London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Forget the noise, the Brexit dinner date met its objectives

Forget the noise, the Brexit dinner date met its objectives

The mood music was gloomy but negotiators will keep talking.
In a typical Brexit plot twist, the dinner between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen was neither a success nor a failure.

On the one hand, the mood music was not good, with both sides offering a gloomy assessment in the wake of the meeting. A Downing Street spokesperson said the pair had a “frank discussion” but “major differences” remain. Von der Leyen sounded a tad more upbeat. The discussion was “lively and interesting” but the positions “remain far apart,” she said in a statement.

The fact the two sides issued separate takes instead of a joint statement was itself not a good sign. With three weeks to go before the end of the transition period, those hopeful of a deal might have been eager for more.

However, the stated objective of the meeting was not to clinch a deal or even to make a significant breakthrough, it was just to allow negotiators to keep talking. That will now happen.

The new deadline for progress is this Sunday, and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab made clear on BBC’s Radio 4 “Today” program that there could be negotiations after that if things are going well.

So, even if the gaps that need to be bridged seem wide, talks haven’t yet collapsed. And both sides can tell their respective domestic audiences they are doing everything they can to try to break the deadlock.

Nevertheless, the threads of success might snap if the two sides continue to talk past each other on substance. “If there isn’t a deal it’s not because of a negotiation failure, it is because both sides have adopted fundamentally irreconcilable principles in the question of how you should cooperate when it comes to international trade,” said Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank.

Indeed, on the so-called level playing field issue — the extent to which the U.K. agrees to stick to EU standards and laws, and how that is enforced — there appears to be a deep-seated disagreement.

The U.K. insists it must have full control over its own state aid, labor, environmental and other regulations and not have to answer to another power. The EU argues free access to its market must come with safeguards to prevent it being undercut.

Success, failure or neither, the talks continue to plod on — at least for a few more days, while the real world continues to suffer in waiting. “The one thing that businesses didn’t want through the Brexit process was uncertainty and the one thing they have been ladled with in spades throughout this process is uncertainty,” Menon said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
×