Former Brexit Secretary (there are plenty of those now) David Davis has today told Radio 4 that the EU deliberately wasted time during Brexit negotiations.
During an interview on the Today Programme, the 69-year-old Tory MP said that the EU is more than happy to accept this 'dreadful' deal and that they used the time against the British government.
First off, let's understand what this is. This is the withdrawal agreement which barely includes a proper, future partnership so negotiations are all but over.Â
Let's be clear that the European Union has spun this time out to deliberately use this time against us. It will get to a time. I'm sure when it will get very tense and very nervous about the way negotiations go.Â
The way negotiations go they are never over until they are concluded.
For a man who presided over these negotiations for all but of four months, this comes as a rather naive statement from Davis, especially following yesterday's day of chaos in the government.
Once Davis' quotes were aired he soon found himself being intensely scrutinised for the comments, as the negotiations were mostly overseen by him.
David Davis on @BBCr4today : ‘let me be clear, it is the EU that have strung this out’ Really, Dave? You only turne… https://t.co/QDsUsVxVPj— Mark Forrest (@Mark Forrest) 1542355382
#r4today #brexit David Davis said that "the EU wasted time in the negotiations", he had the job and failed miserabl… https://t.co/LsZCcHEv9n— David McG 💙 (@David McG 💙) 1542356287
Others highlighted that Davis's poor negotiations skills might have been the major problem here, not the EU.
David Davis has, despite two years in office and a previous role as Europe Minister, shown less knowledge about the… https://t.co/2vrZOId3B2— Paul James Cardwell (@Paul James Cardwell) 1542355112
Just in case you needed reminding, this is how Davis showed up to the second round of negotiations in July 2017.
Well, the UK certainly looks prepared for the second round of Brexit talks. https://t.co/wo7P7TidfG— Ashley Cowburn (@Ashley Cowburn) 1500280882