Opinion

David Davis needs to get a grip of his words - and Brexit details

IN a negotiation as delicate, complex and contentious as Brexit, it is to be fully expected that the words of key figures involved in the talks are pored over for meaning, nuance and intent.

Words matter, as last Monday's row over the differences between the phrases "no regulatory divergence" and "regulatory alignment" amply demonstrated.

This seems to have eluded David Davis, Britain's Brexit secretary.

At times, there is every indication that Mr Davis says the first thing that comes into his head, even if it contradicts what he has already said.

If Mr Davis was some fringe actor in the unfolding Brexit drama this might not be of consequence, and his interventions could be treated in much the same way as those of someone like DUP MP Ian Paisley.

But Mr Davis is among the most important players on the Brexit stage.

In a febrile atmosphere, Mr Davis should be inspiring confidence and trustworthiness.

So far, he has struggled to convey professionalism and competence.

In an embarrassing performance at Westminster's Brexit committee last week, he admitted the government had done no studies on the potential impact of leaving the EU on the economy, having previously said exactly the opposite.

It is also striking that Mr Davis has not bothered to visit the Irish border.

If Britain's words are to carry any weight and substance into the exceptionally challenging trade negotiations which lie ahead, it must be regarded as meaning what it says.

Yet over the weekend, Mr Davis said his government's stance on the Irish border - as stated in the agreement eventually reached between the EU and Britain last week - was no more than a "statement of intent".

This caused consternation in Dublin and Brussels and yesterday, in what has become a characteristic of Mr Davis's tenure, he attempted to defuse his remarks.

What he had meant, he insisted, was that the Irish border deal was "more than legally enforceable".

Observers are entitled to question the true position of Mr Davis, and the British government, if it appears to keep changing its mind. Those negotiating with Britain are equally entitled to be perturbed by its chief negotiator's casual approach.

Mr Davis also said yesterday that he didn't need to worry about details.

In a phrase that has echoes of DUP leader Arlene Foster's assertion that she couldn't be across every "jot and tittle" of the RHI scheme, he said: "Anybody can do details, we'll let you do the details."

Detail, like words, matters. If Mr Davis does not soon get a grip of both, a new, less gaffe-prone Brexit secretary will be needed.