London and Brussels: Growing adversarial atmosphere
It was said that when the UK voted to leave the European Union on 23 June last year the French did not really care, but then became hostile, with the Germans were sad we were leaving. The UK as if we needed reminding voted 53% to 48% to leave the EU and this has set the threshold for where we are now as a country leaving the biggest trading block that Britain does trade with; namely the European Union.
Yes the UK is seeking other trade deals like the Commonwealth nations of Australia and India and also the USA.
However, what shape the UK will be in economically when we do leave the EU finally one cannot speculate. However, I believe it is important we keep some trade links with the European Union as they are our nearest neighbours and the UK, though leaving the EU, is still a European nation.
The atmosphere between Brussels and London has turned decidedly hostile with Theresa May saying she would be a bloody difficult woman in EU negotiations quoting Ken Clarke.
EU and UK: leaked dinner conversation
When Jean-Claude Juncker came to 10 Downing Street to have dinner with Theresa May all seemed rosy in the garden as May and Juncker hugged and kissed one another. Everything seemed to have gone well that night at the dinner.
However according to a leaked report things between May and Juncker did not go that well.
The leaked report mentioned tensions and bitter words between May and Juncker which has now boiled over into open hostility between the two sides.
Theresa May it would appear is becoming an almost Churchillian figure as she and her government go into negotiations with the EU in the near future.
She is painting them out to be the aggressor and painting herself out to be standing up for Britain. Whatever you think of Theresa May politically, she does have that hard edge reminiscent of Margaret Thatcher who had many run-ins with Brussels herself.
Of course, there is an election to win and whoever wins the June 8 general election will have to negotiate with the EU and get the best deal for Britain.
May brings in US expert to help in EU-UK talks
It would seem that the situation between the UK and the EU has become so poisonous that the government has brought in an expert negotiator.
David Davis and his so-called Brexit Department have met with William Ury who has quite a successful track record in disputes. Ury is a co-founder of Harvard's programme on negotiation and mediation and has dealt successfully with many problems in the world where communication between different sides has broken down.
William Ury's pedigree as negotiator speaks for itself as he has been in Mid-East talks, in the Balkans peace talks and discussions in the 80's between the US and Soviets over accidental nuclear weapons launches.
Whether Ury's strategy of talking to the EU will be able to calm the choppy waters between the EU and UK remains to be seen. The question is, if Theresa May loses the general election, would Jeremy Corbyn keep him on but for that? We will have to wait and see who wins the election.
