UK PM predicts talks will 'go down to wire' for EU summit deal

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Thursday that talks to wrap up a reset deal with the EU for a summit next week looked set to "go down to the wire", after meeting European leaders.UK PM predicts talks will 'go down to wire' for EU summit deal"I will fight now over the days to come to make sure we get this deal over the line," Burnham said after he attended a broad gathering of dozens of European leaders in Dublin."I suspect it will go down to the wire as these things probably will get hard, but we won't turn our back on these negotiations."Burnham's summit with top EU officials Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa in Brussels on November 20 is seen as the first test of his vow to cement better ties more than a decade after Britain voted to leave in the Brexit referendum.The UK leader who took power in July has broken through taboos in Britain's highly divisive domestic debate over the EU by going so far as to tout the possibility that Britain could one day apply to rejoin.For now though, the first steps are more modest.The two sides are looking to deliver three main agreements a deal cutting red tape for food exports, another linking the two sides' emissions-trading schemes and a third on a "youth experience scheme".The accords were in the pipeline long before Burnham moved into 10 Downing Street.But officials warn there remain some hurdles most notably the EU's demand for London to let European students attend British universities at reduced rates."The requests are coming from the European side, we are putting our requests on the table too," Burnham said."I believe there is a good deal to be done that could be a win-win for Britain and Europe. I think it actually could be more like the Brexit that people thought they were voting for in 2016."European Commission boss von der Leyen posted online after meeting the British premier "let's make it a summit of ambition and concrete results.""More opportunities for young people. Easier agrifood trade. And a stronger cooperation on economic security," she wrote.- 'Choreography' -Burnham hopes the deals will help spark life into the UK's anaemic economy, aiding his main objective of lowering living costs.And they could pave the way for further cooperation with the EU, with Burnham, pledging to lay out different options for Britain's future relationship with the EU around the time of the Brussels summit.Diplomats and officials in Brussels are still upbeat about the prospects for a successful summit, even if the haggling with London over the details shows both sides are still willing to fight their corner.A senior EU diplomat told AFP the three deals appeared to have largely been wrapped up but there was still debate over the "choreography" of how the different agreements fit together.EU ambassadors held a fresh round of talks on a draft summit statement Wednesday and were set to come back to it in the days leading up to the summit.An earlier draft seen by AFP would allow young people from the EU and the UK to reside for up to three years in each other's territory for activities such as work, study or travelling.Britain meanwhile is urging the EU not to leave it out of its "Made in Europe" industrial push.Polls regularly show that most Britons regret leaving the EU, but even the ruling Labour party is divided on how close Burnham should seek to get."The noises from Burnham are all very positive, even if no one believes the UK will rejoin in our lifetimes," the EU diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.burs-del/ec/pdwThis article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.