Surprising, as a detailed technical negotiation wouldn’t normally be the right place for big dramatic gestures. It isn’t even a negotiation about common food standards, but about alignment of the U.K. with EU standards, so not sure where there is an opportunity for a grand gesture.

Thanks, Sam. Your reality check is really valuable.

She refers to 'next year's negotiations'---what are these? Not, apparently, the five-yearly TCA review. Is she anticipating a big renegotiation as part of the next annual meeting between Starmer and vd Leyen?

After the most recent US strategy paper, this is not a fanciful idea. Which is why the equivocal position of the UK now takes on a different aspect.

Tu wersja polskojęzyczna: https://
orynski.eu/o-tym-jak-zyczenie-
pewnego-rosjanina-spelnilo-sie-dzieki-pijakowi-za-kolkiem/

Interesting calculation. Which is more important: keeping prices down, or apprehending smugglers and trying to ensure food safety?

But that may in future not be enough to avoid the choice. And unless the EU can be highly confident that the UK would choose the EU, it cannot safely integrate the UK into EU defence planning. As you said, Niall, this may have been in the back of people's minds during SAFE negotiations.

But the most important question is: would the UK side with the EU against actual opposition from the US? Personally, I doubt it. The link is too longstanding, too emotionally important to the UK. The UK would try to act as intermediary etc as it has always done.

And now that defence is on the table, the UK's famous closeness to the US may be a disadvantage. It cannot maintain its own military without the US, which would make the whole EU vulnerable if it designed a new defence structure with the UK as an integral part.

Re fundamental confidence in the UK's commitment to the EU, sadly I agree that it is very much open to question. The UK was always half-in, half-out during its membership; current calls to rejoin EU/CU/SM are purely based on the need to improve the UK's economy, which is not the purpose of the EU.

I have no better basis for a view than anyone else. But re youth mobility: I think it was probably floated by the EU as the lowest threshold proposal imaginable: who could possibly not want young people to be able to get some international experience? But the UK has no enthusiasm even for this.

Nicely put, Rob!