If anyone needed confirmation that the two sides in the negotiation are still talking past each other then there is no need to look beyond the government's press release (HERE) following yesterday's meeting between Mrs May and Donald Tusk and reports of what Mr Tusk then said outside Downing Street. She apparently thinks she has created "momentum" with her speech in Florence and urges EU negotiators to "respond in the same spirit".
He, in contrast, said he did not think sufficient progress has been made but welcomed what he described as the end of the cake and eat it approach (HERE). He says he does not think we are ready for the next stage - yet - (HERE) with insufficient progress having been made but he clearly believes the cold light of reality is finally penetrating 10 Downing Street,
It can hardly be more humiliating for a nation to be told (indeed to have to be told) that the idea of having your cake and eating it is over but that is apparently what happened yesterday. Tusk told us Mrs may has not done enough to break the deadlock (HERE).
May and Davis are coming to the end game. Either they concede a lot of things and see some progress or carry on being awkward and see more time tick away. One way will cause the Brexiteers to have apoplexy and perhaps lead to Mrs May losing her job. The other will set us on the path to national disaster. Choose carefully.
