EU-coined term signals a new phase in discussions but there is still plenty of drama ahead

Even by the dramatic standards of Brexit, next week is shaping up to be a key one in deciding how, when and if the UK leaves the EU. It has also reintroduced some slightly confusing jargon.

What is ‘the tunnel’?

This is a Brussels-coined term for intensified Brexit negotiations intended to take place between small teams from the UK and EU, insulated as far as possible from the pressures of leaks and media scrutiny.

The talks involve only senior negotiators, with no documents, media briefings, or anything else that could be used to derail the process.

The tunnel-phase discussions, centring on proposals made by Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart, Leo Varadkar, on Thursday, have been given the OK by ambassadors representing the EU member states, sources said.

Have we been in the tunnel before?

Yes. A year ago, after Theresa May was humiliated when her initial Brexit proposals were publicly rejected at a summit in Salzburg, the EU’s deputy chief negotiator, Sabine Weyand, suggested an alternative way forward.

Desperate to rebuild trust, Weyand proposed the idea of removing the negotiations from the public eye, with a core group from both sides setting up a base in the European council’s Berlaymont building to try out new ideas over long hours of talks.

Weyand told EU ambassadors: “What we would really like to do is go into a tunnel and then come back to brief you about what happened just before the next European council.”

Did that work?

Yes, in the sense that in late November the EU 27 and May came up with a 585-page withdrawal agreement to put before the UK and European parliaments for ratification, as well as a 26-page political declaration on the future relationship.

However, by this stage May had lost a series of ministers, who resigned over her plan, and by the time it was eventually put to the House of Commons in January, she was defeated by a resounding 230 votes. Two further votes were also lost.

So what happens next?

If the tunnel talks take place then the timetable will be extremely tight, to the point that many observers believe some sort of delay beyond 31 October would be needed even in the event of an agreement.

A European council summit, long billed as key to a deal, takes place next Thursday and Friday in Brussels. Before then, Johnson will on Monday present his proposed legislative programme to parliament in a Queen’s speech, one dismissed as largely pointless given the likelihood of an imminent general election.

A real crunch point comes on Saturday 19 October, the date stated in the backbench-instigated Benn act as the moment by which Johnson must formally seek an extension beyond 31 October, if he has not had a deal passed by parliament, or received MPs’ approval for no deal.

Parliament will have its first Saturday sitting since the Falklands war, and with the prime minister having pledged to deliver Brexit on 31 October come what may, we can expect significant drama.