Theresa May has spoken to European leaders ahead of a meeting with key Brussels figures as part of an ongoing diplomatic push to break the deadlock in Brexit negotiations.
The Prime Minister and French president Emmanuel Macron “discussed progress” in exit talks and agreed to go over “next steps” on the margins of a crunch summit of EU leaders later this week, Downing Street said.
Mrs May also discussed “the importance of maintaining constructive progress” in negotiations with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and reiterated Britain’s commitment to maintaining a soft Irish border.
The phone calls took place ahead of Mrs May’s showdown in Brussels with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, just days after they said exit negotiations were deadlocked.
Downing Street sources insisted the meeting had “been in the diary for weeks” but the announcement caused surprise in Westminster and comes after last week’s negotiations ended with little movement.
Over dinner, the PM will hope to end the stalemate over withdrawal issues including a “divorce bill”, the Irish border, and citizens’ rights, that are holding up talks on a post-Brexit trading relationship.
After the fifth round of exit negotiations were brought to a close last week, Mr Barnier said he would not recommend to EU leaders that talks move on to trade when he attends the European Council summit on Thursday.
The Prime Minister will meet European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (Olivier Matthys/AP)
Mrs May’s deputy Damian Green said the UK and EU are “moving closer” to agreement on citizens’ rights, acknowledged the divorce bill was “one of the most difficult” withdrawal issues, and stressed the Government would “keep making constructive suggestions”.
But the PM, whose flight to Belgium was not affected by Storm Ophelia, was not expected to make any new offers on the withdrawal issues at her meeting with Mr Juncker and Mr Barnier.
Her official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “The PM set out our current position in Florence – as I have said many times we believe that did create momentum and has had a constructive response, that’s our position.”
Earlier, Boris Johnson urged the EU to “get on” with beginning “serious” Brexit negotiations on trade, adding: “It’s ready for the great ship to go down the slipway and on to the open sea and for us to start some serious conversations about the future and the new relationship”.
And Downing Street echoed the Foreign Secretary’s comments.
The spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has said on a number of occasions in the House and elsewhere that the UK and herself have made an offer in the from of the Florence speech and that she looks forward to the EU27 reciprocating.”