That’s EUR lot Prime Minister
May told Brexit deal will not change as leo gets full support
BRITAIN will not get any more changes or assurances on Brexit including the backstop.
This is the harsh message delivered to Prime Minister Theresa May at the EU Summit crisis talks this week.
Leo Varadkar left Brussels last night after the 26 other EU leaders firmly backed us again.
The Taoiseach was smiling after two days of negotiations with promises secured from the EU chiefs the hard-won backstop cannot be touched or tweaked in any way.
On the other hand, Mrs May stayed for two days begging for some relief from the EU 27 but she has arrived back in London this weekend with nothing more than empty promises of “further reassurances” on what the backstop means.
Mr Varadkar spoke to Irish political reporters last night after the summit talks had finished.
He said the assurances Mrs May got this week in the form of summit conclusions are strong, that they are “as good as” having legal effect.
Anything else she thinks she may get through further negotiations will not change anything in the agreement. Mr Varadkar said: “I think what she is going home with is two very strong assurances and they’re there in the conclusions agreed by the 27 Member states last night.
“First of all, the commitment to begin the negotiations ASAP from the people party to the relationship treaty, that’s the trade deals, trading partnership, willing to begin them as soon as possible after the withdrawal agreement is ratified.
“Secondly, giving them assurances that we will work to make sure that treaty is done and ratified so we never need to get to the point of considering an extension to the transition period, or application of the backstop.
“But again explaining why Europe and Ireland need that backstop, it’s not just about protecting the peace process and avoiding a hard border return.
“Those are the main reasons for it but it’s important for the other member partners as well so the open border does not become a back door to the single market and that can’t happen.” Mr Varadkar was asked by the Irish Mirror if they had any meaning in law. He replied: “You’d have to ask a lawyer but certainly the conclusions are serious stuff.
“It’s not a press statement, these are conclusions of a European Summit agreed by leaders.
“We meet four times a year and we produce these conclusions and they carry a lot of weight, so they certainly have depth and meaning.”
Meanwhile, Mrs May ended her terrible week by confronting Jeanclaude Juncker after he accused the UK of being “nebulous and imprecise” on Brexit.
She admitted having a “robust” conversation with the EU chief, who said his comments were not about her
personally.
He added: “I can’t see where the British parliament is heading.
“That’s why I was saying that it was nebulous – foggy in English – I was not addressing her.”
The agreed conclusions are serious stuff. They have depth and meaning leo VARADKAR BRUSSELS YESTERDAY
THE pantomime that is Britain’s attempt to exit the EU drags on as Theresa May fails to understand the meaning of “no”.
While the Prime Minister’s tenacity and persistence must be admired, her failure to accept the UK is not going to get a better deal is increasing the danger of a hard Brexit.
The leaders of the other 27 states might offer more clarification on the backstop but they have made it crystal clear negotiations are over.
When asked if he was prepared to run the risk of ending up with no deal, Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel hit the nail on the head, replying: “The Brexit is your choice, not mine.”
Mrs May would do well to take note.