Daily Brexit Update: Friday 27th July 2018
So, after all the wasted time trying to cobble a Brexit deal together that pleases no-one in the UK, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, tears great lumps out of it.
One of the main planks of the deal was that the UK would collect tariffs on behalf of the EU, but the answer back has been an emphatic no. The EU will not delegate the collection of its excise duties to a non-member state, said Barnier.
The new Brexit Secretary, Dominic Raab, is left with the deal he was ordered to peddle to the Eurocrats in tatters and another meeting to attend in August.
But Theresa May remains intent on her sales tour trying to bring round EU leaders one by one.
But Barnier has already stated that: "Anyone who wants to find a sliver of difference between my mandate and what the heads of government say they want are wasting their time, quite frankly."
And as the pressure mounts Nick Clegg steps in and backs the call for a second referendum.
With football pundit Gary Linekar close in tow (video):
The leader of UKIP, Gerard Batten, says that the whole negotiation process was designed to get us to this stage in order to present an opportunity to overturn the referendum result:
This is what Mrs May always intended. Delay & impede the leaving process long enough so Brexit could be overturned completely. Only UKIP will NEVER give up the struggle to set Britain free from the European Union. We will never, never, never surrender, https://t.co/EjFOxwiZVg
— Gerard Batten MEP (@GerardBattenMEP) July 27, 2018
While the former UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, adds to his media profile:
Coming up shortly on @thismorning to talk Brexit with @LoveIsland’s Hayley Hughes. pic.twitter.com/HepMdq9SK4
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) July 27, 2018
And the FT asks "can the customs union conundrum be solved?" (Video.)
