What really happened in the Brexit negotiations | Tim Shipman | The Story

[@maartenaalsmeer]

That's one way to twist the narrative. Barnier was sidelined and not listened to? Yet he easily saw off an ever-changing cast of British interlocutors: David Davies, Dominic Raab and David Frost, who all tried and failed to extract special treatment for Brexiting Britain. While Barnier stuck to his brief and mandate, defended the integrity of the EU Single Market, free movement and European institutions and made sure that the EU got what it wanted while the UK didn't.

[@californiadreamin8423]

Was that the David Davies who negotiated without pen and notepad ?

[@AlexGys9]

Jup, some anglo-centric nonsense told by a Brit who - after interviewing hundreds other Brits - still doesn't know how the EU works. Can't say I'm surprised.

[@frankoneill5675]

It's arrogant English nonsense; the commission was trying to help them? Delusional. Not a single clue about what the EU is and how it works. The whole world revolves around Little Britain.

[@samhartford8677]

​​@@californiadreamin8423That too, but they all missed a brain.

[@michaelinhouston9086]

I did a lot of mediating and negotiating in my career and it was fascinating watching the bumbling ineptitude of the British negotiators - they were totally out of their league.

[@papi8659]

Barnier was so sidelined he achieved all of his negotiating objectives completely 🙂

[@frankoneill5675]

There was no possibility of sidelining Monsieur Barnier. His role was to fulfil his mandate, given to him by the member states. The commission could not agree to a single thing that didn't respect the mandate. This whole narrative is anglo-centric fantasy. They have form in rewriting history

[@frankoneill5675]

A truly remarkable account of how the English craftily and cunningly outwitted the EU in the trade negotiations, by getting the commssion on their side, and in the process sidelining Michel Barnier in order to get the deal done behind his back. The bit I can't understand is that ever since the deal was signed, the English, even those who negotiated the deal, have never stopped whining and complaining about what an awful deal it is, while the EU member states seem very happy with it.

[@apb2081]

The EU clearly outsmarted the uk, the uk does not have the size

[@celticlofts]

Oh yeah. And If the UK were ever to go crawling back, on its knees, begging the EU to take them back, this guy would then claim they took us back because they realized that they needed us more than we needed them. That's the British for you.

[@johnwade7430]

I have been living and working in China (Shanghai) for almost 20 years. As an ex-pat I thought that Brexit was a very very bad idea! How could everyone have been SO mindless??

[@AChapstickOrange]

_"As an ex-pat"_ Immigrant. The word is "immigrant". You've been living in another country FOR TWENTY YEARS. Being from some little island off the cost of Europe does not make you some magical brand of human being separate from all the rest of us. You are an IMMIGRANT.

[@johnwade7430]

@@AChapstickOrange Erm - who cares….

[@johnwade7430]

@@AChapstickOrange Fact is, all the ex-pat Immigrants whom I know have said the same thing ‘Stay in Europe’.

[@wanderingtravellerAB99]

Dude, 20 years, you’re an immigrant.

[@ybkseraph]

U.K. had no plan - and first lesson of négociation is “have a plan”

[@chrimbus71]

Spelling is rather important too

[@clarecrawford9677]

Négociation is a perfectly acceptable spelling, just not to a Little Englander.

[@evertlourens230]

I believe the problem was that the UK politicians negotiating Brexit did not actually understand the EU. Boris did not even know what the single market was all about and consequences of becoming a third country.

[@michaelburggraf2822]

That's actually one of the most mysterious things about Brexit: Brexiteers and the UK were most surprised and unprepared for that massive decision they had been debating since Cameron had won the preceding general election. It wasn't exactly something dropping out of a bright blue sky.

[@tonyb9735]

This was not the will of the people, it was the will of a few billionaire media owners and several charismatic but deceitful politicians, all of whom were looking out only for themselves and had no qualms about sacrificing everybody else in pursuit of their selfish ambitions.

[@chattyrat3354]

The question was either Remain or Leave. There was no plan for leaving, including the consequences (e.g. trade barriers) put to the electorate. In that context, the UK electorate gave HMG a blank cheque.

[@topcat1358]

tony - SEVENTEEN MILLION voted for Brexit. The biggest vote EVER in the UK for anything! I love the fact that remoaners are still crying!

[@californiadreamin8423]

@@chattyrat3354. The 2016 National Opinion Poll was NON BINDING on the government. This was all about the Tories , the Tory media , the Tory backers. They have ruined the country.

[@MrOliver1444]

Good said.

[@californiadreamin8423]

@@chattyrat3354 The 2016 National Opinion Poll was NON BINDING. it was a typical Tory con trick

[@GreenGoblinDK]

I'm not from the UK (DK) and I was very sad seeing the UK leaving.

[@stevenhoward3358]

Me too. I am from the UK

[@TycjanChmiel]

Not half as sad as the Brits who either didn’t have a vote and have been badly impacted by it or who voted to remain and have been ridiculed and demeaned and sidelined and also badly impacted by it.

[@user-ue2tv5rd9e]

Yes, it's a bloody shame all around.

[@jcvastgoed1490]

I’m not. And Denmark isn’t really in the EU. So fk off England and Denmark . No rejoin.

[@fcassmann]

Why? Brexitannia is s toxic toddler with a tantrum. We don't need them in OUR club. 🇪🇺🇳🇱

[@ybkseraph]

So, Barnier was side lined…. And yet the EU achieved all its objectives 😂

[@frankoneill5675]

This is anglo-centric nonsense. The commission were trying to help the UK? Why would they? The commission could not possibly agree to anything without respecting and fulfilling what the member states wanted - Barnier's mandate.

[@samhartford8677]

​@@frankoneill5675Also, as if Barnier was not the Commission.

[@Arltratlo]

the EU guys worked for the people in the EU.. the Brit guys worked for their donors!

[@larslarsen5414]

@@frankoneill5675 Agree. There is some completely novel "insights" presented here. But without any evidence. The objective of the Brexiteers was not just to leave the EU - it was also to destablize the EU prefereably as a direct concequence of the UK leaving. The EU was facing a very hostile UK. This guy seem to say that both sides were equally hostile. Come on....?

[@tonyb9735]

@@Arltratlo "the Brit guys worked for their donors!" Of whom, a certain Vladimir Putin was one.

[@charlesbruggmann7909]

In other words, Tessa May never had the guts to state the bleedin’ obvious: Brexit would be very expensive. The harder, the greater the damage. Boris, on the other hand, neither knew nor cared about fckking up the country as long as Carrie could choose the right wallpaper in No 10.

[@topcat1358]

Chic - Freedom always comes with a cost. SEVENTEEN million knew that and were prepared to pay the costs. Meanwhile remoaners can carry on crying and remoaning! Never mind, you might get a re-vote in 40-odd years! LOL🤣🤣🤣

[@janentomenkafka]

@@topcat1358 What freedom ? The legal European migrant workers have been replaced by Asian legal migrant workers. Illegal immigration remained and will remain a problem. And if you want to export stuff, you will still have to adapt your export quality to the standards of the buyer.

[@bryangeake5826]

Correxit! He began the UK's slide into an Argentina on the Channel!

[@charlesbruggmann7909]

@@topcat1358 Even the thickest Brits are slowly realizing that Brexit means poverty today and beggary tomorrow. John Curtice predicted a rejoin referendum in 15 years. Not sure the EU will want you back.

[@topcat1358]

@@janentomenkafka - Stop crying and remoaning. REJOICE in your freedom from EU! If you're lucky, you might get another vote in 40 years! LOL

[@johndevoy5792]

people in Ireland - north, south, east & west -from the ordinary folk to politicians across all parties, who...bear in mind, have had centuries of bitter experience dealing with the Tory mindset, at the heart of 'Brexit - they understood, from the outset, when Cameron called the referendum, how the ordinary English were having the wool pulled over them. Every single person on the island of Ireland knew full well that the real issue would be, ie the so-called invisible border. That the Brexiters didn't know - didn't care - or stupidly presumed Dublin would 'roll-over' ...says all one needs to know about the grasp the British (English) political establishment had, about both Ireland, and the geopolitical heft it has, AND basic understand of how the EU works. It beggars belief what was allowed to happen hat was proof if ever

[@AChapstickOrange]

_"the ordinary English were having the wool pulled over them. "_ Oh, BS. Come on, stop making excuses for them. These are the very same people who spent 40 years slagging off the EU and every other nationality in it-including yours. They knew they were too good to have to consort and compromise with the likes of you but no one would listen to them. Then Cameron self-servingly opened the gate and dared them to go, and to his shock, *_they did._* They didn't have the wool pulled over their eyes; they spent their whole lives bawling for that sweater!

[@gigabit409]

In twenty years time, nobody will admit to voting for Brexit.

[@chrimbus71]

Haha, will you ever stop remoaning

[@adam7802]

@@chrimbus71 No they won't. The vegans of politics.

[@chrisgibson4140]

I will

[@runtothehills8992]

In 20 years time, I shall remain fortified and emboldened by the middle-class tears.

[@chrisgibson4140]

@@runtothehills8992muppet 😂

[@olivierbeltrami]

This guy clearly has an ax to grind with Barnier. I was going to buy the book, but listening to him made me realize this will not be the clear headed book i was hoping for.

[@klausschumacher7126]

I wouldn't spend any money on this arrogant written book. Now after 8 years every body should know the past and don't need a book of someone who thinks that he brings something new.....

[@chrisw1090]

I have had the book bought for me for Christmas and not yet started it. Having heard the self-satisfied ramblings of Shipman I don't feel inclined to begin. Anyone who can think, putting aside Brexit, that Cameron was a 'class act' really hasn't a clue.

[@chelloandra]

Brexit by now the big political elephant

[@AChapstickOrange]

Yeah, and every British politician, even Starmer, still saying, "Yes, there are all these giant turds filling the room, but the elephant certainly has nothing to do with them! Let's make the elephant work for us!" What a farce.

[@stevenhoward3358]

There comes a time when you realise you have backed the wrong horse in a two horse race. The courage comes in getting on the right horse as soon as possible. Unfortunately the tories, in true Thelma and Louise style, steadfastly continue flogging the dead horse as it plummets off the cliff edge.

[@robertwoodhouse-bm7kt]

UK economy doing fine, GDP is looking OK, better than Germany. There´s no economic reason to re-join, we have a FTA with the EU so trade continues, just we can ignore the politics in brussels.

[@stevenhoward3358]

@@robertwoodhouse-bm7kt Germans have a far higher standard of living than we do, over the period since 2016 they have outperformed UK economy, it is only very recently their small recession is larger than ours. You might be doing OK post brexit but many aren't

[@trickslies844]

@@robertwoodhouse-bm7kt Exports are down and and import costs are up as a FTA does not cover non trade barrier. UK GDP projections are based on market developments not Brexit benefits. Though that growth is largely based on EU politics allowing market access which we legally have no right to. The UK can, should and needs to do better to undo a decade of economic miss management.

[@KayDivertida]

Well this is a hilariously absurd version.

[@briansullivan5135]

Shipman doesn’t seem to realise with his Barnier/Junckers etc. allusions he is describing a classic good cop/bad cop scenario. Barnier the bulldog & his seniors the ‘reasonable people”.

[@albertsnijders7566]

Barnier the bulldog? He's an absolute gentleman and weathered diplomat.

[@ukulelelab4219]

brexit is a disaster

[@ChuckY229]

Consocialist Tory BRINO is a disaster. Vote Reform UK to Get Brexit Done.

[@ukulelelab4219]

people realise now brexit was a bag of lies sold by charlatan bojo. New referendum needed

[@AChapstickOrange]

Sigh, yet another Brit who's sure it was all about some talking heads and their failure to communicate, and that it had nothing to do with the rules that define the European Union, what it does and how it does it... that its constitutional documents were just scribbled out and stuck on a shelf for show, how quaint!-and only dusted off to "punish" Britain for leaving. How tiresome. If I live another thirty years, I don't expect to see the UK in the EU. Not with that attitude.

[@kg8489]

Good, we don't want to go back in lol. Your political project is over. Accept it.

[@timoakley277]

Fundamentally none of the leavers had any sort of plan or any ideas for what to do next.

[@warmachineuk]

Oh, they did! It's just that the Tory MPs would never let them be party leader, so they resorted to, and still resort to, threats of no confidence. They want hard Brexit and huge deregulation. May was a Remainer pushing soft Brexit, so her withdrawal agreement had to be blocked and her kicked out. Johnson seemed like a compliant conman and gave a fairly hard Brexit but frustratingly stalled the rest of the agenda. Truss had the right ideology but managed to destroy herself. Sunak humiliated them with the Windsor Framework but they can't find a potential leader to replace him.

[@davidspencer5380]

Every single one of these tories is true to their name - thieves and grifters!

[@rinkadink66]

the UK is out of the EU for the foreseeable future.. that is the reality we live in.. good or bad..

[@adampeckham8541]

Bad ....

[@Maria-rm6in]

Hola from Spain i hope that UK in back as soon as possible, The Brithish people deserve better.

[@fcassmann]

​@@Maria-rm6in No! Out means out. 🇪🇺🇳🇱

[@maxharbig1167]

This is merely the domestic scene. If anyone wants to know how the EU/UK negotiations progressed they should read the book by Stefaan De Rynck, Barnier's special advisor during the negotiations, the title of which "Inside the Deal (How the EU Got Brexit Done)" is as explicit as its contents.

[@warmachineuk]

Poor May, loyal to her party and believed in her country, kicked out by looters and conmen from her own party who'd cheerfully break up the union and the party to enrich themselves. The wonder is not that she lasted so long, it's that she didn't leave politics as a disheartened wreck.

[@chrisw1090]

I am afraid she put party first, there is no patriotism in that. She tried to bribe the DUP to support her and ended up with them pulling the rug, aided and abetted by Johnson, who wanted to be PM for the sake of being PM. All the policies his administration were plying came from Cummings.

[@Porto-m5w]

Thinks about this: David Davis turning up for a first Brexit meeting with Barnier with no brief and admin.support. A shocking failure of the UK state, later repeated time and time again. No special treatment for the UK.

[@Julian-zj2qy]

The pound would rather the UK was in the EU.

[@robertwoodhouse-bm7kt]

The pound currently stronger than the Euro. The EU is now borrowing lots of loans to support the EU economy and currency.

[@Julian-zj2qy]

@@robertwoodhouse-bm7kt Yes you are right, it is stronger but before brexit the pound was much stronger than the euro. It was over 1.30 as I remember. It has been weaker ever since and is now at 1.16. That is what I meant by my comment.

[@Oil2024]

@@Julian-zj2qy it will keep on getting weaker and weaker until it goes below the Euro. Then it will fade into irrelevancy.

[@Julian-zj2qy]

@@Oil2024 You paint a bleak picture. However that the longer UK stays seperate from EU the less relevant the pound becomes - simply due to trade barriers between UK and its nearest neighbour - the biggest trading block on the planet. The Uk has sanctioned itself with brexit - It obviously needs EU trade.

[@stevenhoward3358]

Times Radio will be in official mourning for the next three days due the passing of their beloved tory party. Flowers and donations please to the Green Party.

[@ChuckY229]

Green Party = The Party of Islam.

[@Dogboy2004]

The problem is this- it doesn't matter what the people want. If the establishment doesn't want it, then it will never work ,

[@neilrobson3064]

The people who wanted it couldn’t deliver it, and the people who could deliver it didn’t want to…..

[@charlesbruggmann7909]

Boris promised that you could have your cake and eat it - are you surprised that everything went pear-shaped?

[@notme444]

Of course, it's the fault of "the establishment", or should that be "the elite", words that well describe a typical Tory politician, including (or maybe especially) the members of the ridiculously misnamed European Research Group. Strangely though, "the people" voted for them.

[@AlexGys9]

Jup, the people wanted unicorns and blame the establishment for not delivering the unicorns they were promised.

[@apb2081]

The EU clearly outsmarted the uk, the uk does not have the size

[@frankoneill5675]

It had nothing to do with size. Brigid Laffan and Stefan Telle's book 'The EU's Response to Brexit: United and Effective', explains the remarkably detailed level of planning the EU did for the Brexit talks, and throughout them. The UK team turned up for their first meeting without a sheet of paper between them

[@tominessex1252]

it's not very hard to outsmart an idiot or a clown with blond hair

[@johnnevada46]

Hundreds of politicians and negotiators tell us how they achieved something of which they are all ashamed.

[@japfourme381]

Boris bricked it, that’s what happened!!

[@epincion]

Nope the whole foundation of Brexit was a tissue of lies. No less than the arch-Brexiter ( and a real trade expert)Dr Richard North who founded The Leave Alliance one of the groups who came to form the Leave campaign left and in his daily blog (Turbulent Times) was very clear that Brexit would fail since ‘you cannot legislate lies’. He was in favour of a Norway style soft Brexit.

[@philiphowell1505]

It became perfectly clear to me on the evening that the referendum vote result was announced that I needed to escape and avoid the final demise of a voted for wreck. All underscored by a vote for the present pantomime. Hilarious.......from a safe distance.

[@Oil2024]

England has been the best britcom for a few years in a row, now...

[@carnivaltym]

Cant wait for the novel!

[@au3264]

Do you think Arne Slot will be liverpool's next coach? If he thinks so, he'd better prepare for coaching Kigali FC.

[@iano239]

I think that The Times of London may not be completely dispassionate in an assessment of British negotiations with the EU. The clarity that Johnson brought was that he would agree to any stipulation in order to reach agreement. His assumption was that he wouldn't be held to account. We live in an era where countries like the UK have to follow their agreements. I remember Thatcher agreeing to only have Police patrolling Northern Ireland. Didn't happen. "Out, out, out.". The Times is slightly less Tory than the Telegraph. That seems obvious. The times are not where they were.

[@amenhotepv2844]

The longest list of this world is the list of Brexit benefits.

[@AChapstickOrange]

Taking back control of blue fish passports, yeah, we know, right.

[@willtricks9432]

Giving the complex and difficult process of leaving the EU a lazy and childish title like "Brexit" turned the issue into a biscuit. ' One bite and it's gone', this made it easy for the populace to consume and instantly forget what the word actually meant. That it was a first past the post and not a two thirds majority vote made it an unrepresentative outcome.

[@pault1289]

Good to hear Tim being honest about his own mistakes here. Excellent insider's story, shame it was so important for us as a country and that we elected clowns to do the job.

[@PanglossDr]

The truth is that there were no negotiations worth talking about. The EU decided what it wanted and ultimately the UK had to go along with everything.

[@Oil2024]

Were you honestly expecting anything other than that?

[@PanglossDr]

@@Oil2024 No, I worked in Brussels and know how the work.

[@Oil2024]

@@PanglossDr There you go...

[@alunevans2377]

Both parties during the referendum told porkies. The remain went with project fear instead of selling the benefits of membership. On a personal level, EU membership was not top of my priority list but voted remain as i knew it would be disruptive. We were not in the eurozone or Schengen area. When the result came in I accepted it as a democrat. What did a lot of damage was the politicians who said that they would implement the result but then backtracked as soon as the result went against them.

[@adampeckham8541]

I think the main damage has come from raising trade barriers with your largest trade partners. To quote a former aussie PM "In an age of rising protectionism the UK has decided to leave the world's largest free trade area with whom you do around 50% of your trade, so it's a challenging time for you"

[@epincion]

Project fear wax in fact telling the truth as the UK is discovering having left the EU in the hardest of Brexits and gratuitously burning all bridges of trust

[@AChapstickOrange]

_"The remain went with project fear instead of selling the benefits of membership."_ That's because none of you care about them. You still talk about the EU like it's just this big cookie jar you would have been wise to keep your hand in. Practically none of you care about a common European identity, a common European space, a common European history, a common European future or destiny. You hate that stuff. So did most of the Reform advocates. So why would it occur to them to pitch you something they thought was garbage and were sure you did too?

[@trickslies844]

Why do people like you still believe any one will believe your obvious lies? All "Project fear" ever mean was a lack of EU benefits. Thats it. What did the Damage was the lack of these benefits. The delays and theatrics around it where just about the UK coming to terms with this damage.

[@alunevans2377]

@trickslies844 I didn't say anything about lies. Both sides told porkies and I stand by it. I fir one did not buy this money for NHS stuff, neither did I believe the sky would fall in if the vote was for out.

[@beachboy0505]

Excellent video

[@daveroberts1]

Asking anybody for an opinion on something they know almost nothing about is not such a good idea, is it? Asking the British populace about something few knew anything about is an equally bad idea.

[@InakiCampo]

Boris and JRM both voted for May's last deal. Defeated by Labour as well from the EU hating Corbyn. Bojo got Brext done by lying through his teeth. Chaos!

[@AmerBoyo]

David Cameron was a fall guy, plain and simple. Absolutely no surprise he’s back in cabinet. It’s all a total disgrace.

[@neilrobson3064]

Little Shipman - the tame client journalist……

[@leviathon2]

Are you a school child?

[@sirgawain4399]

What a load of absolute sky.

[@lazslostpierre9951]

Brexit done? You've been done.

[@kierandoran8196]

The inside story is BJ and others pressed the Little Englander buttons and the Slavish British Public did what their 'betters' told them to do. It was that easy.

[@charlier6927]

This sounds like the Tory view of Brexit. I would prefer the independent view to get closer to the truth.

[@bigernie9433]

"Brexaster works best when not implemented" (courtesy of Prof. Chris Grey)

[@airingcupboard]

Good interview.

[@renbe0]

Shipman - Boris Johnson's sheep man 🙄

[@pelpelpel1]

Rees Mogg got the two best salesmen

[@celticlofts]

The Tories couldn't negotiate peace within their own party - How were they ever going to negotiate a deal with the EU to the UK's advantage. You now have a border within your own union so I wouldn't characterize that as a success, especially when no one in the UK government wanted one. The EU won this hands down, and all the spin I'm listening to here won't change that.

[@harrybrick9907]

This commentary is all too much Westminster focused. Too much centered on the personalities of politicians. How about the essential stupidity of the economics of Brexit and 14 years of incompetent governance.

[@georgesdelatour]

When Boris replaced Theresa May, why did Olle Robbins go to work for ex-EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso at Goldman Sachs? Was Barroso rewarding him for a job well done?

[@epincion]

Nope

[@Georgefox-qh5ul]

brexit is the best thing we done since the d day landings !!

[@Павел-ь2ш2с]

The total losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the beginning of 2024 have exceeded 111 thousand people, 21 thousand units of weapons and military equipment. The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the beginning of the special operation amounted to more than 500 thousand people.

[@robertwoodhouse-bm7kt]

did you forget to take your happy bills.

[@GorgeDawes]

What’s that got to do with Brexit?

[@jackstrop7520]

What happened! One side WON then was stabbed in the back, END!

[@DarrenJamiesonJamieson]

So you are no longer allowed to use The Euro in this country as we have our own government and everything more than ever? Hands up if you think that they know how ro be honest? I heard that they brought many laws out stating that The Euro is no longer valid here (of course they did).

[@MrIvarlira]

Why this voice?

[@nickgood8166]

Me thinks this Tim Shipman geezer is a remainer.

[@madfjuuri]

The author is delusional. Keep writing your own history

[@rakofraneta2490]

General seems to be russian sympathiser

[@Richard1A2B]

Tosh like this is why I ended my subscription with the Times.