Books

Book Review: Why Britain’s sound and fury on Brexit signified nothing

Stefaan De Rynck was a close aide of EU negotiator Michel Barnier, and his book Inside the Deal is an enlightening account of an arduous process

“You know what? It’s only f***ing mackerel” Lord Frost, Britain’s Brexit negotiator, reportedly said about a climbdown that helped clinch the deal. For a final time, Britain had given in after years of posturing followed by backtracking.

As Frost’s casual tone suggests, concessions had long since become routine. The UK had even allowed the EU to retain a role in the economic life of one of its constituent territories.

Unlike Britain, the EU prepared well …