Curiously, French President Emmanuel Macron closed his country's border with the UK for 48 hours. A Daily Express poll showed 95 percent of its readers believed Macron, in fact, closed the border to try and force the UK into a Brexit deal of his choice. He may think that a 48-hour closure would be long enough to create enough chaos to persuade the Brits that it is not worth endangering a Brexit deal for a dispute over fish. It is hoped that the 48-hour border closure had nothing to do with the Brexit talks. High level engagement and secrecy are the hallmarks of EU negotiations - suggesting both sides are now in the "tunnel" to cut a deal.

Source: The Standard December 23, 2020 19:30 UTC