Brexit countdown: Parliament to hold rare weekend meeting

LONDON: Britain and the European Union on Wednesday agreed to hold last-ditch talks aimed at securing a Brexit deal with just days left to thrash out an agreement, as each side traded accusations of a failure to compromise.

Brexit secretary Steve Barclay will meet his EU counterpart Michel Barnier in Brussels on Friday in an attempt to break the impasse before an October 17-18 summit. Barnier promised the bloc “will remain calm, respectful and constructive”. He said, “I think a deal is possible and very difficult but possible.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson scheduled an emergency sitting of the British Parliament for Saturday, giving politicians the chance to debate the way forward. With just days left before the country is due to leave the EU, and a deal looking unlikely, the rare Saturday session in the House of Commons is set to be fraught as MPs weigh their options: delaying Brexit, crashing out with no deal, or trying to bring down the government.

The last weekend session was on April 3, 1982 after the Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands, a British overseas terri

tory. Other sittings were called for the outbreak of World War 2 and the Suez Crisis of 1956.

Britain is due to leave the EU on October 31, more than three years after a landmark referendum that has dominated domestic politics and divided the nation.

Johnson is also expected to

meet his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar, with few signs Dublin is prepared to move on its position about border arrangements.

“This will be a private meeting to allow both leaders ...to have detailed discussions about the process for securing agreement for a Brexit deal,” the Irish government said in a statement.