Theresa May is confident on Brexit but negotiations won't end yet
The text of the political declaration is agreed and it's easy to see which bits were added to please which side, says Kate McCann.
Thursday 22 November 2018 16:35, UK
After weeks of uncertainty over the Brexit deal there is a sense in Westminster that the end, at least of this stage, is in sight.
The text of the political declaration, which Theresa May has been counting on to solve all her domestic Brexit problems, has been agreed - prompting journalists and politicians to pore over the details.
And it's easy to see which bits have been added to please which side.
A carefully inserted clause promising that the much-criticised Northern Irish border solution will be replaced by something else was a key demand of pro-leave Cabinet ministers... although it's not clear yet what the new solution will be.
Another paragraph aims to ease the fears of some backbench Conservatives by making clear that technology should be used to get around the issue of checks at the Northern Irish border.
Iain Duncan Smith, Owen Paterson and others visited the prime minister last week to try and persuade her to include this.
There's also an interesting change to the first draft of the text which pledges to "build and improve" on the customs partnership contained in the Withdrawal Agreement.
It has been tweaked from the first version, which only said the new UK EU relationship would build on the one set out in the divorce deal.
This was the section which led former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab to resign when he saw the first draft last week because he was worried the UK would be stuck in a customs union and unable to strike new free trade deals.
There is also an explicit end to freedom of movement, one of the key aspects of the Brexit vote and something the prime minister made clear was a firm red line.
But there are other sections that could cause concern among some Brexiteers.
A future fishing deal is yet to be fleshed out and the European Court of Justice still plays a significant role in the relationship going forward when it comes to disagreements, according to the text.
It also states that trade will be "as close as possible, with a view to facilitating the ease of legitimate trade" but Mrs May is understood to have wanted the word "frictionless" included.
There's still a promise that the UK will "consider" aligning itself with European regulations, although this isn't the same as a formal promise to, which could please some Brexiteers.
Overall, it is worth noting that this document is not legally binding, so it forms the basis but does not tie the prime minister to the terms of a final agreement - that is all to be worked on in the coming years.
But it represents a direction of travel that may persuade some MPs to back her and prompt others to solidify their view that the deal Mrs May is about to agree is not good enough.
The mood in Number 10 is said to be broadly positive, while still cautious about the issues which remain to be solved - including Spain's problem with Gibraltar.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to warn she won't turn up to the summit on Sunday unless an agreement is ready to be signed has been interpreted by Number 10 as helpful, making clear to Spain that the withdrawal agreement is not about to be re-opened.
The UK side is understood to have wanted to tie down the positive changes which had been thrashed out in the political declaration because of those concerns about Gibraltar and fishing.
There was a desire, after productive all-night talks, to "lock in" progress in the hope other aspects can be nudged into shape in the future.
Speaking this morning, the prime minister said the text had been agreed by the UK and EU, signalling she has won the sign-off of her own cabinet.
She also said she is "confident" that an agreement between the UK and Spain on Gibraltar can be reached by Sunday, when all EU nations meet to sign on the dotted line.
But for those hoping to see an end to negotiations in the next couple of years, think again.
The agreement states there will be a "high-level conference at least every six months" from Brexit day to "take stock of progress and agree, as far as is possible between them, actions to move forward".