With David Davis heading to Brussels this week to resume negotiations on the transition deal with the EU. Apparently concessions have already been made. These include accepting the EU deadline for the end of the transition period and a fall-back from the fisheries position promoted by Michael Gove, of the UK taking back full control of fisheries.
The debate heated up again to day as the Exiting the European Union Committee released its main report on progress to date on the negotiations. This concluded that at there moment there was little progress on resolving an open Irish border. The report rejected the EU fall-back position (of a border in the Irish Sea) and urged the government to come up with counter proposals.
The most controversial comment in the majority report was that there could be insufficient time to complete negotiations of the UK's relationship with the EU during the transition period and that preparations should be in place to agree an extension of the transition period. The thorny issue of the UK simply being a 'rule taker', still beholden to the EU and the ECJ was also raised and it is hoped that some level of influence in discussions will be agreed.
The committee was split on this issue in particular and a minority report by the hard leavers on the committee was issued, which accused the major report of having been "written in the slough of despond, despairing and defeatist". (Apparently, issuing such minority reports does occur as committee members are often bipartisan, an issue here with remainer and leaver MP's on the committee).
Whilst Cambridgeshire seems to have been spared the dramatic snowfall seen in Lincolnshire and the South again, it was a gray, bitter day today. At least last weeks cut flowers still provided a touch of warm colour indoors. I spent the afternoon working on the Quekett Bulletin. Jane was busy designing greeting cards.
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