Brussels, Dec 13 (AFP/APP): European leaders will charge EU negotiator Michel Barnier on Friday with negotiating a close trade deal with Britain, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s apparent election win set the stage for an orderly Brexit. Some officials at the EU summit in Brussels expressed relief as exit polls arrived from across the Channel, predicting a workable parliamentary majority for the pro-Brexit premier. “We will wait and we will see what will be the official results but there is a strong message we will give tomorrow,” said summit host and new president of the European Council Charles Michel. “We are ready for the next steps and we will see if its possible for the British parliament to accept the Withdrawal Agreement and take a decision,” he said. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen agreed, adding that Brussels would congratulate the winner and work quickly to draft a mandate for post-Brexit trade talks. France’s minister for European affairs, Amelie de Montchalin, said that — if confirmed — the results would comfort President Emmanuel Macron, who has long wanted to see London ratify the Brexit withdrawal agreement and leave the bloc on January 31 as planned. “If the exit poll … Continue reading EU leaders prepare for Brexit after Johnson win