Britain says it could walk away from EU talks this summer

Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The British government said Thursday it will walk away from Brexit trade talks with the European Union in June if the two sides fail to make significant process toward an agreement.

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said agreements the EU has made with other countries can serve as a trade template to speed up the process, and that the bloc already has existing precedents.

London said it expects to have a "broad outline" of an agreement by June with finalization in September, and that it may need to move away to focus on "domestic preparations to exit the transition period in an orderly fashion" if talks are unsuccessful.

The British government made clear it would not be bound by any EU institution, including the European Courts of Justice.

"[The document] is a vision of a relationship based on friendly cooperation between sovereign equals, with both parties respecting one another's legal autonomy and right to manage their own resources as they see fit," the British government said.

"Whatever happens, the government will not negotiate any arrangement in which [Britain] does not have control of its own laws and political life."

Tension has already boiled over between Britain and the EU over fishing rights. The European bloc is demanding its 27 member states maintain current access to British-controlled waters. Gove pushed back, saying Britain will decide who has "access to our territory on our terms."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wants Britain to be treated fairly without concessions.

"We're not going to engage in some race to the bottom," he said. "All we want is mutual recognition of each other's high standards and access to each other's markets.

"We wouldn't ask the EU to follow every change in [British] legislation, so it doesn't make any sense for them to make the same requirement of us, and that's where we are."