Fine line as May brokers a Brexit

PRIME Minister Theresa May will return to Brussels tomorrow to hammer out an outline of Britain’s future ties with the European Union after failing to bridge the gaps with the head of the bloc’s executive.

Mrs May met European Commission head JeanClaude Juncker for about 90 minutes yesterday to try to win commitments to help her appease rebels at home opposed to her draft Brexit treaty.

“There were some remaining issues which we have discussed,” she said. “I will be returning on Saturday for further meetings, including again with President Juncker to discuss how we can ensure that we can conclude this process.”

With just over four months before Britain’s departure, Mrs May (pictured) is trying to finalise an outline of future relations before a summit of EU leaders on Sunday, which is to endorse the Brexit accord.

Raising the stakes, EU diplomats said they had been told German Chancellor Angela Merkel would not come on Sunday for more talks, meaning a text must be ready to go.

Spain’s Prime Minister, meanwhile, insisted he would vote against the draft unless he won assurances over the disputed peninsula of Gibraltar.

Mrs May said both sides would continue working on the text. “I believe we have been able to give sufficient direction for them to be able to resolve those remaining issues,” she said.

A European Commission spokesman said “very good progress” was made between Mrs May and Mr Juncker.

Diplomats in Brussels said EU states’ concerns over fishing rights and future trade ties had largely been addressed in the political declaration on the EU-UK future ties that would form a package with the legally binding divorce deal, meaning Spain’s concerns were the final issue to be settled.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wants assurances the future of the disputed territory of Gibraltar would be settled in talks with Madrid.

The British and European parliaments must ratify the deal to end more than 40 years of partnership before Brexit Day on March 29, 2019, or Britain would be set to leave the EU with no treaty.

The publication last week of a draft exit treaty sparked the biggest crisis of Mrs May’s premiership, with two Cabinet ministers quitting and dozens of Conservative MPs calling on her to step down.

They accused Mrs May of making too many concessions to the EU, while others oppose Brexit altogether.