Brexit: members of the negotiating teams took Covid-19; next round will begin on 1 June
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Brexit talks behind schedule because negotiators got Covid-19
The next round of virtual talks will begin on 1 June
The UK's top negotiator David Frost said that Brexit talks between the government and the European Union were “paused slightly” by the coronavirus pandemic and were behind schedule by one to two weeks, as members of the negotiating teams took ill.
“When the crisis first hit us in a major way during March, we lost the second round that had been planned for the middle of March, and as illness hit various members of the team, there was a pause for a time,” Frost, the prime minister’s chief Europe adviser told MPs during a 27 May evidence session.
The negotiator was addressing the Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union, which has been taking evidence on the latest progress in discussions about the post-Brexit trading relationship between the UK and EU.
“I think the main difficulty we’ve had [...] is the difficulty of mimicking by video what happens in a real meeting,” Frost added, during his first appearance before the committee. “There are some things you cannot necessarily read or discuss in a way you would normally.”
Frost also faced questions on his relationship with Boris Johnson’s special adviser Dominic Cummings, who led the Vote Leave campaign during the referendum. Cummings is facing scrutiny and public anger for breaking strict Covid-19 lockdown rules, along with calls for his resignation.
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