I was sent to Brussels to report on the Brexit talks – and got there just in time

Hours after I arrived on Wednesday, the Belgian government declared London a ‘red zone’. Things then got stranger still, writes Jon Stone

Emmanuel Macron speaks to the press as he arrives prior to an EU summit in Brussels this week (Pool/AFP/Getty)

Despite a second wave of Covid-19 breaking across Europe, EU leaders decided to meet in person in Brussels on Thursday to discuss Brexit. After months of video conferences, they argued that it was just too difficult to get real diplomacy done over the phone.

It was for similar reasons that The Independent decided it was worth me coming out here to cover the events. Yes, the main press conferences and speeches are livestreamed, and you can WhatsApp your contacts to ask them what’s going on from anywhere in the world. But it’s hard to get a real feel for an event and properly focus on a story from behind a desk in London.

So that’s why I am here in Brussels to cover the meeting.