Brexit in limbo: UK says there is no point talking until EU gets serious

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government sees no point in talking with the European Union on a Brexit trade deal until the bloc starts to treat Britain as a sovereign state, a junior business minister said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government sees no point in talking with the European Union on a Brexit trade deal until the bloc starts to treat Britain as a sovereign state, a junior business minister said on Tuesday.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives to attend a news conference at the European Union leaders summit dominated by Brexit, in Brussels, Belgium. REUTERS/Toby Melville /File Photo (REUTERS)

“We are trying to get a deal,” Nadhim Zahawi told Sky, adding as long as the EU “negotiate with us as a sovereign.”

“Until you make it very clear that you are willing to negotiate with us as an equal, as a sovereign, then there’s no point simply just paying lip service saying you know ‘we’ll intensify’ negotiations,” he said.