This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/06/hopes-for-brexit-deal-grow-with-major-step-over-northern-ireland-border-backstop-issue
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Hopes for Brexit deal grow with 'major step' on Irish border issue | Hopes for Brexit deal grow with 'major step' on Irish border issue |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| Theresa May’s hopes of finally securing a Brexit withdrawal agreement have been boosted after she edged a step closer to winning her cabinet’s backing to resolve the final major sticking point in negotiations with Brussels. | Theresa May’s hopes of finally securing a Brexit withdrawal agreement have been boosted after she edged a step closer to winning her cabinet’s backing to resolve the final major sticking point in negotiations with Brussels. |
| The prime minister tasked her Eurosceptic attorney general, Geoffrey Cox, who has emerged as a key figure in winning the support of cabinet Brexiters, with drawing up legal plans for a “review mechanism” to resolve the Irish backstop issue. | The prime minister tasked her Eurosceptic attorney general, Geoffrey Cox, who has emerged as a key figure in winning the support of cabinet Brexiters, with drawing up legal plans for a “review mechanism” to resolve the Irish backstop issue. |
| Whitehall officials will spend the next few days thrashing out the detail of the proposal, under which the UK could leave a temporary customs arrangement with the EU without being forced to accept an border down the Irish sea. | Whitehall officials will spend the next few days thrashing out the detail of the proposal, under which the UK could leave a temporary customs arrangement with the EU without being forced to accept an border down the Irish sea. |
| Brexit relies on the will of the people. What if we don’t know what that is? | Gaby Hinsliff | Brexit relies on the will of the people. What if we don’t know what that is? | Gaby Hinsliff |
| May told her cabinet to “stand by their diaries”, with government sources suggesting that ministers could be summoned for an emergency meeting later this week to sign off the backstop proposal before presenting it to Brussels, possibly later this month. | May told her cabinet to “stand by their diaries”, with government sources suggesting that ministers could be summoned for an emergency meeting later this week to sign off the backstop proposal before presenting it to Brussels, possibly later this month. |
| She warned that, while she wanted to strike a deal, this could not be “at any cost” and would depend on an “acceptable” framework for a future relationship with the EU, expected to be set out in a separate political declaration. | She warned that, while she wanted to strike a deal, this could not be “at any cost” and would depend on an “acceptable” framework for a future relationship with the EU, expected to be set out in a separate political declaration. |
| Government insiders believe that the review proposal could meet the demands of febrile Tory backbenchers by removing the Northern Ireland backstop from the withdrawal agreement and replacing it with a UK-wide one. | Government insiders believe that the review proposal could meet the demands of febrile Tory backbenchers by removing the Northern Ireland backstop from the withdrawal agreement and replacing it with a UK-wide one. |
| Critically, May got support from Ireland’s prime minister, Leo Varadkar, who told Irish MPs that the review clause could be the “creative solution” needed to break the logjam and could be to Ireland’s benefit. | Critically, May got support from Ireland’s prime minister, Leo Varadkar, who told Irish MPs that the review clause could be the “creative solution” needed to break the logjam and could be to Ireland’s benefit. |
| But he and EU sources said that no text had been produced, confirming the declaration by the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, that a deal was not close. | But he and EU sources said that no text had been produced, confirming the declaration by the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, that a deal was not close. |
| “A review clause would have to be negotiated; we have yet to see proposals from the UK … if it does apply and potentially last into perpetuity, it may be to our advantage or necessary at various points in time to have a review,” Varadkar said. | “A review clause would have to be negotiated; we have yet to see proposals from the UK … if it does apply and potentially last into perpetuity, it may be to our advantage or necessary at various points in time to have a review,” Varadkar said. |
| But he warned: “A review is very different to an exit clause and we cannot accept an exit clause that would unilaterally allow the UK to resile from the backstop, nor could we accept an expiry date.” | But he warned: “A review is very different to an exit clause and we cannot accept an exit clause that would unilaterally allow the UK to resile from the backstop, nor could we accept an expiry date.” |
| Barnier said: “For now, we are still negotiating and I am not, as I am speaking to you this morning, able to tell you that we are close to reaching an agreement. There is still a real point of divergence on the way of guaranteeing peace in Ireland, that there are no borders in Ireland, while protecting the integrity of the single market.” | Barnier said: “For now, we are still negotiating and I am not, as I am speaking to you this morning, able to tell you that we are close to reaching an agreement. There is still a real point of divergence on the way of guaranteeing peace in Ireland, that there are no borders in Ireland, while protecting the integrity of the single market.” |
| British officials admitted there was still some way to go to get Brussels to agree to the plan. May’s official spokesman warned reporters: “Don’t be under any illusion; there remains a significant amount of work to do. She [told cabinet] that while 95% of the withdrawal agreement had been concluded, on the Northern Ireland backstop, there are a number of issues that we still need to work through, and these are the most difficult. This includes ensuring that, if the backstop is ever needed, it is not permanent, and there’s a mechanism to ensure that the UK could not be held in the arrangement indefinitely.” | British officials admitted there was still some way to go to get Brussels to agree to the plan. May’s official spokesman warned reporters: “Don’t be under any illusion; there remains a significant amount of work to do. She [told cabinet] that while 95% of the withdrawal agreement had been concluded, on the Northern Ireland backstop, there are a number of issues that we still need to work through, and these are the most difficult. This includes ensuring that, if the backstop is ever needed, it is not permanent, and there’s a mechanism to ensure that the UK could not be held in the arrangement indefinitely.” |
| Who is Geoffrey Cox, the new figure at the heart of Brexit talks? | Who is Geoffrey Cox, the new figure at the heart of Brexit talks? |
| A backstop is deemed necessary to ensure there is no return to a hard border in Ireland if the UK and the EU are unable to secure a long-term free trade deal after the end of the Brexit transition period in 2020. The EU has hinted that it would accept the whole of the UK temporarily staying in the customs union. | A backstop is deemed necessary to ensure there is no return to a hard border in Ireland if the UK and the EU are unable to secure a long-term free trade deal after the end of the Brexit transition period in 2020. The EU has hinted that it would accept the whole of the UK temporarily staying in the customs union. |
| Cox, who has emerged as a significant player in May’s plan to get her cabinet on board, said compromise on the Irish backstop was a “major step” in removing the final obstacle in reaching agreement on the withdrawal deal. | Cox, who has emerged as a significant player in May’s plan to get her cabinet on board, said compromise on the Irish backstop was a “major step” in removing the final obstacle in reaching agreement on the withdrawal deal. |
| The attorney general set out a spectrum of options to try to bridge the gap between the UK and the EU, one of which is thought to include a form of independent arbitration and a mutual review process. He warned Brexiter colleagues that they risked leaving the EU without a deal if they insisted on the UK having the power to unilaterally call time on the backstop. | The attorney general set out a spectrum of options to try to bridge the gap between the UK and the EU, one of which is thought to include a form of independent arbitration and a mutual review process. He warned Brexiter colleagues that they risked leaving the EU without a deal if they insisted on the UK having the power to unilaterally call time on the backstop. |
| The home secretary, Sajid Javid, and the foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, were among those who argued that they would struggle to get a review mechanism past Tory MPs without it. | The home secretary, Sajid Javid, and the foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, were among those who argued that they would struggle to get a review mechanism past Tory MPs without it. |
| However, one Brexit-leaning minister said he had already accepted that cabinet would have to accept a mutual exit mechanism as it was the only way to break the deadlock. He said that there was “growing acceptance” among ministers about this. | However, one Brexit-leaning minister said he had already accepted that cabinet would have to accept a mutual exit mechanism as it was the only way to break the deadlock. He said that there was “growing acceptance” among ministers about this. |
| Penny Mordaunt, the secretary of state for international development, told colleagues that Brexit was like a plane journey in which passengers wanted to hear from the pilot at the start and end of the journey, but would be worried if they did mid-flight. The Scottish secretary, David Mundell, quipped that they would be equally alarmed if they heard that the pilot could not land the plane. | Penny Mordaunt, the secretary of state for international development, told colleagues that Brexit was like a plane journey in which passengers wanted to hear from the pilot at the start and end of the journey, but would be worried if they did mid-flight. The Scottish secretary, David Mundell, quipped that they would be equally alarmed if they heard that the pilot could not land the plane. |
| Other UK government sources suggested that a deal was imminent. “If you can find a solution on the mechanism, then we’re in a good place on the UK-wide backstop,” one said. Another added: “We’re very close. Everything is poised.” | Other UK government sources suggested that a deal was imminent. “If you can find a solution on the mechanism, then we’re in a good place on the UK-wide backstop,” one said. Another added: “We’re very close. Everything is poised.” |
| However, officials said May’s hopes of reaching a final deal in time to hold a special EU summit in late November now looked like “a bit of a stretch” and that the final agreement could be struck at a regular Brussels summit in December instead. One insider said: “Everybody wants this settled before Christmas”. | However, officials said May’s hopes of reaching a final deal in time to hold a special EU summit in late November now looked like “a bit of a stretch” and that the final agreement could be struck at a regular Brussels summit in December instead. One insider said: “Everybody wants this settled before Christmas”. |
| Some Whitehall insiders are warning that the cabinet is yet to confront the question of the stringent “level playing field” conditions Brussels will insist on in exchange for accepting the principle of a UK-wide customs union as the backstop. | Some Whitehall insiders are warning that the cabinet is yet to confront the question of the stringent “level playing field” conditions Brussels will insist on in exchange for accepting the principle of a UK-wide customs union as the backstop. |
| Leaked plan to sell Brexit deal: 'Measured success is the narrative' | Leaked plan to sell Brexit deal: 'Measured success is the narrative' |
| The EU27 are demanding “dynamic alignment” on workers’ rights, state aid and environmental standards if they are to accept a customs union, meaning that UK regulations will have to track the EU’s. That idea is likely to be anathema to Brexiters, who fear that the UK be locked in a “vassal state” relationship with the EU. | The EU27 are demanding “dynamic alignment” on workers’ rights, state aid and environmental standards if they are to accept a customs union, meaning that UK regulations will have to track the EU’s. That idea is likely to be anathema to Brexiters, who fear that the UK be locked in a “vassal state” relationship with the EU. |
| Britain’s insistence that the UK-wide backstop must be included in the legally binding withdrawal agreement means these will have to be signed up to now. | Britain’s insistence that the UK-wide backstop must be included in the legally binding withdrawal agreement means these will have to be signed up to now. |
| Brexit | Brexit |
| Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland |
| Ireland | Ireland |
| Theresa May | Theresa May |
| Leo Varadkar | Leo Varadkar |
| European Union | European Union |
| Michel Barnier | Michel Barnier |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |