May focus switches to border deadlock
THERESA May remains wedded to her Brexit plan despite being told it “will not work” at a summit of European Union leaders, setting up a tense month of negotiations as time runs out to reach a deal.
The Prime Minister said the Chequers blueprint is the only proposal on the table as the deadline approaches, with the next leaders’ meeting in October set to be a “moment of truth”.
But Mrs May indicated the UK will unveil new measures on the future status of the Northern Irish border in a bid to break the deadlock.
Speaking at the end of a two-day EU summit in Austria – during which she had a meeting with Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar – Mrs May said the UK will “shortly” come forward with new proposals on the so-called “backstop” arrangements for implementation at the border if no longterm solution is found.
Mrs May, who also held “frank” face-toface talks with European Council president Donald Tusk at the informal Salzburg summit, insisted Chequers is the “only serious and credible proposition” for an overall deal.
But Mr Tusk said the 27 other EU leaders had agreed the plans need to be redrawn.
“Everybody shared the view that while there are positive elements in the Chequers proposal, the suggested framework for economic co-operation will not work, not least because it is undermining the single market,” he said after the two-day meeting.
Individual leaders of EU nations were equally blunt, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel said “substantial progress” is needed over the next four weeks.
French President Emmanuel Macron said leaders of the Brexit campaign who told British voters it would be easy were “liars” and leaving was “not without costs”.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his country is better prepared for a no-deal Brexit than Britain and an agreement is “not easy” because of Mrs May’s red lines.
The next major milestone in the Brexit process is fast approaching, with the October 18 summit labelled a “moment of truth” by Mr Tusk.
An additional Brexit summit could be held in November, if a deal is within reach.
Mr Tusk said: “In October we expect maximum progress and results in the Brexit talks and then we will decide whether conditions are there to call an extra summit in November to finalise and formalise the deal.”
At a news conference at the conclusion of the summit, Mrs May struck a defiant tone, saying she had always expected negotiating “tactics” to be used during the process.
She has flatly rejected a European Commission backstop proposal for Northern Ireland to remain within the EU customs area after Brexit, arguing this would draw a border down the Irish Sea.
Earlier, the leaders of the Czech Republic and Malta had suggested a second referendum should be held to give the British people the chance to rethink Brexit.