The government is ready to announce a series of early deals with the EU in the first few weeks and months after Article 50 is triggered. Government figures say they have been holding ‘informal’ talks with EU countries, in particular Germany, over a number of agreements that aim to show goodwill at the beginning of the negotiations and the potential for a mutually beneficial Brexit. This is at odds with the EU’s public line that there has been no negotiation before notification. A government source says: “There are deals ready to go. The Germans have agreed to them, but we can’t do it before Article 50”.

Examples of possible early deals being considered include over migrants and defence arrangements in Eastern Europe. Andrew Lilico has speculated about the kinds of early reciprocal deals that could be struck, for example formally granting Britain permission to negotiate trade deals with non-EU countries in return for some olive branch to Brussels and Berlin. The issue of Britons’ and migrants’ rights is obviously something Theresa May has said she wants to address early on. There is optimism in Whitehall that Germany – so far, behind the scenes – wants to work constructively…