Brexit talks halted as EU digs in over Irish border

A NEW impasse in Brexit talks saw the UK yesterday urge the EU to copy Britain’s “spirit of cooperation”.

It came after claims Brussels officials had delivered a “detailed and forensic rebuttal” of all the UK’s proposals to keep the border open in Ireland.

The border issue has been a key sticking point in the Brexit talks.

There are fears that if Brussels refuses to budge the UK could be forced to choose between accepting the reinstatement of a “hard border” between Northern Ireland and Ireland, which it has insisted will not happen, or to stay in the EU customs union.

Customs union membership would stop Britain making free trade deals with other countries around the world.

Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns, of the pro-Brexit group Change Britain, said: “The EU’s point blank refusal to engage with the UK’s proposals is deeply frustrating. Instead of negotiating constructively, it appears Brussels is focusing its efforts on keeping the UK in the customs union and single market.”

Defying

Anti-Brexit MPs and peers of all parties want Britain to stay in the customs union to protect free trade with the EU.

After Mrs May suffered a defeat relating to the issue in the House of Lords this week, a separate vote will be held in the Commons next week, where pro-EU Tories will join Labour in defying the Prime Minister.

A “customs partnership” for the UK to collect import duties for the EU on goods destined via Ireland for the Continent, or technology to ensure a virtually frictionless cross-border are seen as potential answers by Britain.

British negotiators are said to have been shocked by the total inflexibility of their EU counterparts on both ideas.

A UK official insisted yesterday: “We have put two sensible and practical solutions on the table. We’re just waiting for the EU Commission to engage with the same spirit of cooperation.”

Another option keeps Northern Ireland in the customs union by effectively drawing a customs border in the Irish Sea – something Mrs May said “no British prime minister could ever agree”.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier warned last night that substantial parts of the withdrawal deal, including the Irish border, remained to be agreed by the autumn – just months before Britain is due to leave on March 20, 2019.

Mr Barnier told France2TV: “There are still difficulties, a risk of failure.”

He switched from French to English and said “no way” when asked if the UK could obtain a “single market a la carte” deal, meeting Britain’s own demands to end free movement of people.