Are the Brexit negotiations really going to crash?

A full trade deal takes years to negotiate – and this one has hardly started, writes John Rentoul

Michel Barnier has accused Britain of distancing itself from the political declaration (AFP/Getty)

Michel Barnier is an old-school negotiator. At his news conferences he speaks in English when he wants to insult the British, and then switches back to French as he explains how utterly reasonable he has been throughout.

Yesterday, he said, in English, that the political declaration agreed by both sides “is available in all languages, including English”, before he accused “our British counterparts” of seeking to distance themselves from it. In French, however, he said he would remain “serene and patient” in the talks.

Both sides admit that little progress has been made and that time is short. David Frost, the UK negotiator, who last week seemed pessimistic about the prospects of agreement, said yesterday: “We are now at an important moment for these talks.”