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A deal on the Irish border to break the Brexit deadlock is not close, the EU\u2019s chief negotiator has said.<\/p>\nA deal on the Irish border to break the Brexit deadlock is not close, the EU\u2019s chief negotiator has said.<\/p>\n
Michel Barnier was speaking as UK Prime Minister Theresa May briefed her Cabinet on her plans to achieve a breakthrough in time to secure a special Brexit summit to seal an agreement in November.<\/p>\n
Mrs May is pursuing a possible \u201creview mechanism\u201d to be included in any withdrawal agreement, which would enable the UK to bring its participation in a customs union with the EU to a close.<\/p>\n
Reports over the weekend suggested that a withdrawal deal may be imminent, as technical talks continue in Brussels.<\/p>\n
But Mr Barnier told Belgian broadcaster RTBF: \u201cFor 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, since 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Ms May on Monday that he was ready to consider a review mechanism as part of a \u201cbackstop\u201d arrangement to keep the border with the North open after Brexit.<\/p>\n
But he made clear he would not accept an arrangement which gave the UK unilateral powers to ditch the customs union without the agreement of Brussels.<\/p>\n
Mrs May is understood to view the mechanism as a means of allaying the concerns of Conservative and DUP MPs who want guarantees that any future membership of a customs union is temporary.<\/p>\n
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said Dublin\u2019s stance was making a no-deal Brexit likely.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks like we\u2019re heading for no deal,\u201d he tweeted.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch an outcome will have serious consequences for economy of Irish Republic. In addition, UK won\u2019t have to pay a penny more to EU, which means big increase for Dublin. Can\u2019t understand why Irish Government seems so intent on this course.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tough talk from Ireland came as shadow chancellor John McDonnell confirmed Labour would not support a temporary customs union with the EU.<\/p>\n
Asked if Labour would vote against a customs union option unless it was permanent, Mr McDonnell told BBC2\u2019s Newsnight: \u201cYeah, I think so, because\u2026 we\u2019ll see what she comes back with and we will be straight and honest with people, if it doesn\u2019t protect jobs and the economy we can\u2019t support it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the messages that we get back over this whole period is that our European partners desperately want what we want \u2013 a deal that will protect their jobs and their economies in the same way that we want to.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, we think there\u2019s a deal to be had if they recognize that the deal is unacceptable to Parliament, I think that opens up a vista of the opportunity of the real negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Britain’s Justice Secretary David Gauke warned that a no-deal Brexit would be bad for the UK.<\/p>\n
Mr Gauke told a Channel 4 debate show: \u201cIf we leave on no-deal terms there\u2019s no good shying away, it will be very bad for us economically.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can get a good deal, and that means removing all the frictions\u2026 the Chequers-type deal, as I say, if we don\u2019t have friction with trade, then, economically, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to make a particular big difference one way or the other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amid reports that Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and other Cabinet Brexiteers were pushing for the UK to be able to quit any backstop with a few months\u2019 notice, there was brighter news for the PM as it was reported the EU was prepared to offer London a compromise on the Irish issue.<\/p>\n
Brussels may put forward an \u201cindependent mechanism\u201d by which Britain could end a temporary customs arrangement with the EU, according to The Times.<\/p>\n
The backstop issue has become the major obstacle to agreement on the UK\u2019s withdrawal from the European Union, due to take place on March 29 2019.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a Survation poll of 20,000 people for Channel 4 estimated Remain would win another in\/out referendum by 54%-46%.<\/p>\n
Using a \u201cmulti-level\u201d modelling technique, the broadcaster said 105 local authority areas that voted Leave in 2016 would now be carried by the Remain side.<\/p>\n