UK ditches most EU meeting to focus on Brexit
Britain has decided to stop going to many European Union meetings unless its attendance is crucial so its diplomatic staff can better prepare for its scheduled departure from the bloc on Oct. 31.
UK Secretary of State Steve Barclay said Tuesday that the diplomatic corps "will only go to the meetings that really matter, reducing attendance by over half and saving hundreds of hours." He says this will free up staff "to get on with preparing for our departure on October 31 and seizing the opportunities that lie ahead."
It was another sign that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is bent on leaving the EU "come what may" at the end of October.
Beyond preparing for Brexit, Johnson has said the diplomatic staff will also be working to prepare new relationships with the 27 remaining EU nations and looking for trade agreements with other nations.
