The choreography of the dance moves ever so slowly in diminishing circles. The areas of disagreement have been narrowed down. Barnier makes negotiating on the basis of a legal text sound like a compromise, when that is the area of EU expertise all along. Nothing less will suffice. The negotiators will probably eventually come to a deal. The question is whether that deal will ultimately be ratified.

My scenario is based on the probability that it will not be, because the politics of the UK and EU are increasingly out of control, and spinning in opposite directions. Astute and strong political leadership could still pull it off, but there has been a marked absence of that, particularly on the UK side. Can Boris head off the no-dealers, and does he even really want to badly enough?

Index of Frank's Diaries

Brexit talks to resume after Michel Barnier speech breaks impasse [_link]

— The Guardian (@guardian) October 21, 2020