Brexit Talks Brussels: Davis and Barnier hold press conference after first day of Brexit talks - by Andrew Sparrow

Brexit Negotiations get underway

The British newspaper The Guardian reports EU negotiator Michel Barnier said it will be up to the European council, led by Donald Tusk, to decide later if sufficient progress has been made on these issues to allow talks to move on to trade.

He said, in leaving the EU, Britain will no longer have the same rights and opportunities as EU members.

But the EU can build a new partnership with the UK, and that will contribute to stability on the continent.

He says “a fair deal is possible, and far better than no deal”.

The British negotiator David Davis said the talks were “very constructive”. He says a deal is “eminently achievable”.

Note EU-Digest: Britain is about to go down on its knees before Trump to beg for post Brexit trade access to the USA,  and is in no position to stand up to him and all his nonsensical "make America great again" ideology, as France, Germany and Italy have done, when they issued a powerful joint public statement against Trump policies. Bottom line, the best thing for Britain is to get back into the EU fold and face the global storm winds as a member of the EU. After all  - United we stand -Divided we fall.     

Read more: Davis and Barnier hold press conference after first day of Brexit talks - Politics live | Politics | The Guardian

Brexit: The UK and the EU are on collision course for a major clash over the structure of Brexit negotiations, warns David Davis-by T.N.Dunn

The fantasy is over Britain

The British Brexit Secretary says the Government and Brussels are set for an almighty row over the details of a deal on citizens' rights

We will reject any attempt by the EU to keep euro judges in charge of the rights of its citizens living in the UK after Brexit, David Davis has declared.

The remaining 27 leaders have made the continuation of the European Court of Justice’s remit a term for any deal with Britain.

But the Brexit Secretary ruled that out, vowing: “Well we’ll have an argument about that”.

Mr Davis told ITV’s Peston on Sunday: “The simple truth is we’re leaving".

“We are going to be outside the reach of the European court, we are going to be outside the reach of all of the law making capabilities”.

Offering an olive branch, the Cabinet minister leading the intense talks instead said the UK would “freeze” EU citizens’ entitlements as they are today.

Workers from other European countries would keep getting benefits and pensions from Britain if they’re resident, as well as free healthcare.

But they would lose ‘citizenship’ rights, such as being able to vote in general elections.

Note EU-Digest: Looks like Britain wants "their cake and eat it also". That is not the way "the cookie crumbles",  Mr. David Davies.

Read more: The UK and the EU are on collision course for a major clash over the structure of Brexit negotiations, warns David