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Brexit: DUP 'could not back draft Brexit deal' Brexit: Leo Varadkar tells unionists draft text no threat to NI
(about 2 hours later)
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said a draft Brexit deal between the UK and Brussels "fundamentally undermines the constitutional and economic integrity of the UK". Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar has sought to reassure unionists that there is no constitutional threat to the integrity of the UK.
He said his party wants to see Brexit, but "this is not the right Brexit". He has said a draft Brexit deal between the UK and EU would "not negatively impact" the integrity of the UK.
His comments come as talks enter crunch time, with the Irish border the sticking point. But senior DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the text could precipitate the break-up of the union.
Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar is holding a special cabinet meeting. Talks have entered crunch time, with the Irish border the sticking point.
The meeting to discuss the draft text is taking place in Dublin. What's thought to have been agreed?
DUP leader Arlene Foster is travelling to London on Wednesday morning but the party has said there is no meeting planned with the prime minister. The draft withdrawal agreement, which has been drawn up alongside a statement of future relations with the EU, has not been published, but is thought to run to some 500 pages.
Mrs Foster told Sky News "it is worrying times, there's no doubt about that", and added that she hoped the party would "get to see the text so that we can make our own judgement on that". It addresses the Northern Ireland backstop - the insurance policy arrangement that aims to guarantee that physical checks will not be reintroduced at the border with the Irish Republic, in the event of the EU and UK failing to agree a deal on future trading relations.
The draft withdrawal agreement, which has been drawn up alongside a statement of future relations with the EU, has not been published but is thought to run to some 500 pages.
It addresses the Northern Ireland "backstop", which aims to guarantee that physical checks will not be reintroduced at the border with the Irish Republic, in the event of the EU and UK failing to agree a deal on future trading relations.
The backstop within the agreed draft is believed to avoid a return to a "hard border" with the Republic by keeping the UK as a whole aligned with the EU customs union for a limited time.The backstop within the agreed draft is believed to avoid a return to a "hard border" with the Republic by keeping the UK as a whole aligned with the EU customs union for a limited time.
The UK government faces a battle to win Parliament's backing for the draft text and relies on the DUP's support to win key Commons votes. This has proven the most contentious part of the withdrawal negotiations, with concerns raised by Brexiteer Tories and the DUP over how it will work.
The DUP has said there is no planned meeting with the prime minister set for Wednesday. What has the Irish government said?
Sir Jeffrey told BBC Radio Four's Today programme that the "Northern Ireland backstop has been rolled into a UK-wide backstop" and this could have consequences for the union. On Wednesday morning, Leo Varadkar appeared in the Dáil Éireann (Irish parliament) to answer questions from opposition parties.
He said he recognised that "for the unionist community this is quite a difficult time".
"I know many unionists may be feeling vulnerable, isolated and many may be quite worried about what may be agreed in the coming days," he added.
"I want to say to them - the Good Friday Agreement will be protected - it includes a recognition of the fact we respect the territorial integrity of the UK and the principle of consent, that there will be no change to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland unless a majority of people say so."
He said he was happy to have that written into any agreement as a legal guarantee.
Mr Varadkar held a special meeting this morning to discuss the text with his cabinet.
He stressed that he did not want to share detail or say anything that "might make things more difficult for the prime minister" ahead of her crucial cabinet meeting at 14:00 GMT.
What has the DUP said?
The reaction from the party that the UK government relies on to win key Commons votes has been wholly critical.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told BBC Radio Four's Today programme that the "Northern Ireland backstop has been rolled into a UK-wide backstop", which could have consequences for the union.
"I think it has been described by one commentator as like a swimming pool, and Northern Ireland will be in at the deep end," he added."I think it has been described by one commentator as like a swimming pool, and Northern Ireland will be in at the deep end," he added.
'Break-up of the UK' "Many people conclude that this will lead to a regulatory border in the Irish Sea. It means the end of the UK single market.
"If the United Kingdom wants to leave, we will have much closer regulation in terms of both the customs arrangements and the single market, so we will be treated very differently from the rest of the United Kingdom.
"Many people conclude that this will lead to a regulatory border in the Irish Sea. It means the end of the UK single market."
"In the longer term, when the UK does new trade deals with the rest of the world, Northern Ireland won't benefit from that, won't be part of that, because we will have to remain aligned with the European Union and that will lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom," he added."In the longer term, when the UK does new trade deals with the rest of the world, Northern Ireland won't benefit from that, won't be part of that, because we will have to remain aligned with the European Union and that will lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom," he added.
The draft deal comes as four Stormont parties that campaigned to remain in the EU are to meet Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar in Dublin on Thursday. On Wednesday morning, DUP leader Arlene Foster travelled to London, but the party has said there is no meeting planned with the prime minister.
On Monday, Sinn Féin, the SDLP, Alliance and the Greens held talks with Labour and other opposition parties at Westminster. Mrs Foster told Sky News: "It is worrying times, there's no doubt about that."
The four parties were originally due in Dublin to talk to Mr Varadkar on Wednesday afternoon, but it emerged on Tuesday night that their meeting had been pushed back. She added that she hoped the party would "get to see the text so that we can make our own judgement on that".
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said "the big problem" would be getting the draft deal "through parliament". What have other parties in Northern Ireland said about the draft text?
"It seems to me that almost every opposition party, for all kinds of reasons wants to vote this down," he said. Sinn Féin's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill tweeted that she would be speaking to Mrs May later on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Eastwood added that the "only people who are precipitating the break-up of the United Kingdom are the DUP". She said that there "must be protection for the Good Friday Agreement" and that the backstop "must be cast in iron".
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood also said "the big problem" would be getting the draft deal "through parliament".
"The only people who are precipitating the break-up of the United Kingdom are the DUP," he added.
"It (the union) isn't under threat and I think talking that up has created a threat in itself," he said."It (the union) isn't under threat and I think talking that up has created a threat in itself," he said.
Alliance deputy leader, Stephen Farry, said people needed "to be incredibly responsible".Alliance deputy leader, Stephen Farry, said people needed "to be incredibly responsible".
"Dramatising this as a constitutional question is extremely worrying and dangerous and indeed irresponsible and it's not just the DUP who are doing it, you have people like Boris Johnson last night doing it, talking about Dublin control," he said."Dramatising this as a constitutional question is extremely worrying and dangerous and indeed irresponsible and it's not just the DUP who are doing it, you have people like Boris Johnson last night doing it, talking about Dublin control," he said.
Irish government in 'constant communication' Those three parties and the Greens, who all campaigned to remain in the EU, are now expected to meet the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Dublin on Thursday.
Both the UK and EU have said they want to ensure physical checks will not be reintroduced. The Ulster Unionist Party, meanwhile, has said there must be a "sensible deal" that respects the result of the referendum and maintains the integrity of the UK.
They had each come up with their own proposals for the Northern Ireland backstop, but had been unable to agree on a way forward. "There must be no ambiguity, constructive or otherwise, in any deal about Northern Ireland's place within the Union in a post-Brexit UK," said party leader Robin Swann.
The backstop is the "insurance policy" arrangement to keep trade across the border as frictionless after Brexit as it is now, if no other solution can be found as part of a wider deal with the EU. Remind me, why is the backstop needed?
UK Prime Minister Theresa May will also hold a special meeting of her cabinet on Wednesday afternoon at 14:00 GMT to set out the details of the proposed text. Both the UK and EU are committed to ensuring physical checks at the Irish border will not be reintroduced.
Irish national broadcaster RTÉ had reported a source said the Irish government wanted to give the UK cabinet "time and space" to analyse the text before making any detailed response. But if a solution cannot be found as part of a wider deal, the EU insisted on a legally binding "backstop".
A spokesperson for Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told BBC News NI that the government was not commenting on media speculation. Until Tuesday, EU and UK negotiators had each come up with their own proposals for the Northern Ireland backstop, but had been unable to agree on a way forward.
"Michel Barnier and the (EU) taskforce are charged with negotiating with the UK and we are in constant communication with them throughout," they added. Focus will turn to Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon, as Theresa May is holding a special meeting of her cabinet at 14:00 GMT to set out the details of the proposed text.
The Irish government has repeatedly said a backstop cannot have an arbitrary end point, and must apply unless and until some other political or technical development means it is no longer needed.
But pro-Brexit politicians are concerned that a backstop without a time limit or a clear exit route would lock the UK into the EU's customs union indefinitely.