Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC political correspondent, says the government committee overseeing the Brexit talks is to meet on Monday and decisions are expected on what we intend to do to push the negotiations on to trade (HERE). She doesn't know if that means agreeing to pay more money or not.
However, it comes as Johnathan Lis has a piece in The New European about the bill. He thinks we will agree to pay more simply because leaving without a deal would cause such chaos it is literally unthinkable for any government. They would never survive.
However, both articles ignore the Irish border as if this either didn't matter or was easily capable of resolution. Neither is true.
Any salesman knows that you can always cut the price in a flash to get an order, but only if the order is obtainable. If the customer wants something you cannot supply, a different style or design or delivery time for example, then the price is irrelevant. You cannot change a design overnight or wave a magic wand to produce something that takes weeks to make in a few days. So it is with the Irish border.
If we had a practical solution we would have tabled it months ago and we would simply have to resolve the details. But we haven't even got a solution after months of thinking about it, and neither does the EU or he Irish government. If anything is going to stall the talks it's this.
Money is easily solved. Citizens rights perhaps are closer to agreement but even here the question of ECJ jurisdiction still remains. But the border in Ireland is going to be tough.
I note Donald Tusk was asked what he thought of David Davis' comments about the EU making some concessions . He said he like Davis' English sense of humour. I don't think the EU are going to bend.
