EU diplomats: UK backing away from threat to leave with no deal

The Guardian quotes the European Union (EU) sources, noting that the British government is stepping back from its threat to leave the EU without a trade deal if negotiations break down.

On conditions of anonymity, the EU diplomats said that the UK officials recognize the “havoc” that this would cause, and have come to regret the threat to turn the UK into a deregulated offshore tax haven.

One UK-based ambassador, with deep knowledge of the European Union, said, “They [British ministers] have realised that ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’ won’t fly. They are worried about people in this country who have an ideological and political intention of creating chaos. The civil service have told them it would create havoc.”