On Wednesday Michel Barnier and David Frost held a video call for 45 minutes. With both men back from coronavirus convalescence it was an opportunity to inject political momentum into the stuttering negotiations on Britain's future relationship with the EU.
In what was described as a constructive meeting, both sides agreed three negotiating rounds between now and June on the weeks beginning 20 April (this Monday), 11 May and 1 June.
The new schedule still leaves the process well short of how things were originally envisaged. Britain left the EU on 31 January and once both sides agreed their respective negotiating mandates, there was talk of nine full negotiating rounds, with the first happening on 2 March. "There had been a sophisticated