Veteran Downing Street photographer Steve Back has done it again – he’s snapped these notes being carried out of a meeting with Mark Field in Downing Street this afternoon. Someone at the meeting appears to have said we are “loathe” to do a transitional deal, we are “unlikely” to stay in the single market and that our position is to “have cake and eat it“. Here is an attempted transcription:

Won’t provide more detail. We think… be offered single market. Our criteria are clear – more open the better.

Manufacturing relatively straightforward
Services harder – because French hoping for business.
biggest interest is internal market

ECJ & control of borders won’t fit.

Transitional – loathe to do it. Whitehall will hold onto it. We need to bring an end to the negotiation.

Headlines won’t change from now until March though

Why no Norway – TWO elements – no ECJ intervention… beyond our trade with Europe. Unlikely to do internal market

Trade with EU through DexU not DIT.

What is the model? Have cake & eat it.
Very French negotiating team.
Need fair process guaranteed…
Canada Plus – more on services
Europe gets a good deal
BEA model not good

So has someone in Downing Street at last revealed the government’s Brexit plan?

Transcription via Chris Jones