Brussels bureaucrats have shot down Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to rush through a new defence and security pact with the EU.
Europe Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds was briefing ambassadors last week about the need for substantive talks.
However, with poisitions in the European Commission and European Council still being allocated, it will be difficult to make progress until later this year.
EU officials also do not understand quite what the UK is looking for, with French President Emmanuel Macron quizzing the Prime Minister last month.
An EU diplomat told The Telegraph: “It’s an ambitious timeline and stuffing all kinds of things into a security pact isn’t going to make it easier.”
However, the European Commission does hope to build on the cross-Channel relationship post-Brexit.
A European Commission spokeswoman said: “The EU is committed to a positive agenda with the UK, based on the full respect and the faithful and timely implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which are the cornerstone for the EU-United Kingdom relationship.”
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Jenrick slams ‘tired’ Labour at leadership rally
Robert Jenrick opens up on ‘hard truths’ facing UK as he calls for end to mass migrationROBERT JENRICK
Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick will slam Labour as “tired” at a launch rally later today.
The former Immigration Minister is expected to say: “But for a Government so fresh, their solutions are so tired.
“Already, just a few weeks in, Labour have misled Parliament about public spending and in the autumn they will break their election promises not to raise taxes.
“They won’t commit to a timetable to raise the defence budget. They’ve scrapped the ambition to build homes in the places where we need them most.
“They’ve released dangerous criminals early. They’ve sacrificed the north sea oil and gas industry at the high altar of net zero zealotry.
“They’ve scrapped the only credible plan to secure our borders.”
BBC’s Tim Davie read riot act as Lisa Nandy demands Huw Edwards lose licence fee paid pension
Huw Edwards with insets of Lisa Nandy and Tim Davie PA
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has read the riot act to BBC director-general Tim Davie as the broadcaster was urged to recoup money from Huw Edwards’ pension after the veteran presenter pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.
Nandy spoke to the BBC boss to raise concerns about the corporation’s internal investigation and discuss what further action may be taken when it comes to the “handling of licence fee payers’ money”.
In a statement, a spokesperson from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “The Culture Secretary is, like the whole nation, shocked by Huw Edwards’ abhorrent actions, and her thoughts are with the victims whose lives have been destroyed. It is now for the judiciary to decide on an appropriate sentence.”