Irish PM Leo Varadkar warns Boris Johnson that the EU is ‘stronger’ than Britain as he plots tactics for Brexit trade talks with Michel Barnier

• Leo Varadkar has warned Boris Johnson that the EU is ‘stronger’ than Britain
• Irish PM is meeting EU negotiator Michel Barnier for talks in Dublin this morning
• Mr Johnson has vowed to thrash out trade deal with EU before the end of 2020 

Irish PM Leo Varadkar today warned Boris Johnson that the EU is ‘stronger’ than Britain – as he plots tactics for trade talks.

The Taoiseach made clear he believes the bloc will emerge on top in wrangling over the future relationship, saying the UK will not ‘have its cake and eat it’.

With just days left until Brexit legally happens, Mr Varadkar is meeting EU negotiator Michel Barnier in Dublin this morning. 

In an interview with the BBC, he deployed a footballing analogy to claim the bloc has a ‘stronger team’ because of its far larger population and market.

Mr Varadkar also suggested that Mr Johnson might run out of time to get a trade deal signed before the end of the year, when the transition period finishes.

With just days left until Brexit legally happens, Leo Varadkar (left) is meeting EU negotiator Michel Barnier (right) in Dublin this morning

Mr Varadkar suggested that Boris Johnson (pictured signing the Brexit divorce deal last week) might run out of time to get a trade deal signed before the end of the year, when the transition period finishes

The PM has repeatedly ruled out requesting an extension to the implementation phase, during which the UK is still bound by EU rules. 

The Taoiseach, who is fighting a general election, said: ‘The European Union is a union of 27 member states. The UK is only one country. And we have a population and a market of 450 million people.

‘The UK, it’s about 60 (million). So if these were two teams up against each other playing football, who do you think has the stronger team?’

Mr Varadkar – whose face-to-face talks with the PM were seen as key in securing a breakthrough on the divorce deal last year – questioned whether it would be possible to negotiate a full trade deal in time, saying ‘it will be difficult to do this’.

And he warned against any attempt by the UK to get a bare bones deal that could then be fleshed out over time.

‘When I hear people talk about piecemeal, it sounds a bit like cake and eat,’ he said.

‘That isn’t something that will fly in Europe.’

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