May said to be weighing concessions on Brexit
U.K. Cabinet ministers expect to be locked in a room to study the latest options for a Brexit deal in strict secrecy Tuesday as Theresa May redoubles efforts to get a deal this month, according to people familiar with the matter.
The prime minister is hosting her most senior team for a discussion on Brexit and the session Tuesday morning is likely to focus on the vexed question of how to avoid customs checks at the Irish border with the U.K.
British officials have given up hope of making enough progress this week for a special EU summit to be called for the purpose of signing the divorce deal on Nov. 17, according to one person familiar with the situation. Instead, May’s team is aiming to have a deal ready fortheendofthemonth,but that will require the political will to get over the hurdle of the Irish border question, the person said.
The U.K. is due to leave the EU in under five months, with or without a deal. Both sides have said there will be no withdrawal agreement unless a legally operational backstop guarantee can be found to ensure there are no customs checks at the Irish border, even if the overall trade deal doesn’t solve the issue.
Before they sit down to discuss the strategy with May, senior ministers are expecting to get the chance to read a policy paper under controlled conditions, two people familiar with the matter said.
Meanwhile The Times reported that the EU was preparing to offer a compromise that would give Britain an “independent mechanism” for leaving a customs arrangement with the bloc.