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Leo Varadkar and Boris Johnson to hold crunch talks as negotiations to avert a no-deal Brexit were hanging in the balance.<\/p>\nLeo Varadkar and Boris Johnson to hold crunch talks as negotiations to avert a no-deal Brexit were hanging in the balance.<\/p>\n
The two leaders spoke by telephone for about 40 minutes amid accusations from No 10 that the EU was making it \u201cessentially impossible\u201d for Britain to leave with an agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth sides strongly reiterated their desire to reach a Brexit deal,\u201d a Downing Street spokesman said. \u201cThey hope to meet in person later this week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier there was was fury in Brussels following a series of No 10 briefings claiming German Chancellor Angela Merkel had made clear a deal was now \u201coverwhelmingly unlikely\u201d.<\/p>\n
No 10 sources claimed Mrs Merkel had told the UK Prime Minister that Britain could not leave the EU unless it was prepared to leave Northern Ireland behind in a permanent customs union.<\/p>\n
European Council president Donald Tusk accused Mr Johnson of engaging in a \u201cstupid blame game\u201d ahead of next week\u2019s crucial EU summit.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt stake is the future of Europe and the UK as well as the security and interests of our people,\u201d he tweeted.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want a deal, you don\u2019t want an extension, you don\u2019t want to revoke, quo vadis (where are you going)?\u201d<\/p>\n
Labour said the Prime Minister was guilty of a \u201ccynical\u201d attempt to \u201csabotage\u201d the talks, saying his strategy had always been to pursue a no-deal break.<\/p>\n
The hardball tactics from No 10 even alarmed some ministers, after sources warned Britain could break off security co-operation with the EU if it was prevented from leaving on October 31 as Mr Johnson has promised.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith tweeted that \u201cany threat on withdrawing security co-operation with Ireland is unacceptable.”<\/p>\n