The Spanish foreign minister went viral because she nailed the problem at the heart of Brexit trade negotiations

John Plunkett. Updated December 14th, 2020

Britain and the EU have entered the final stretch of negotiations over a Brexit trade deal, with Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen vowing to ‘go the extra mile’ to reach agreement.

Probably best not to hold your breath though.

And while we wait to find out what happens, Spanish foreign minister Arancha González-Laya went viral with her assessment of the problem at the heart of the talks.

She was interviewed on Sky News and this clip is well worth 70 seconds of your time.

This, by Spanish Foreign minister @AranchaGlezLaya, is absolutely superb. The clearest expression of the problem I’ve heard. The UK is trying to use a trade deal to do something it’s not designed to do. This, fundamentally, is why negotiations have failed.

Well worth sharing. pic.twitter.com/23zpjbgCSH

— Alex Andreou (@sturdyAlex) December 13, 2020

And just a few of the things people were saying about it after it was sent viral by @sturdyAlex on Twitter.

So much of what we have become comes down to the fact that British people this smart simply don't go into politics. https://t.co/zVnBJ1uoSY

— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) December 13, 2020

It's strange how many European leaders sound more intelligent in their second language than British cabinet ministers do in their first. https://t.co/hHPfs1jBGu

— Ian Fraser (@Ian_Fraser) December 13, 2020

Wonderful https://t.co/dpDodUd9tg

— Peter Foster (@pmdfoster) December 14, 2020

Source @sturdyAlex