Brexit breakthrough ‘days away’ as May meets EU leaders
THERESA May is expected to have more talks with key European leaders on a Brexit deal today as speculation intensifies that a breakthrough is just days away.
The Prime Minister will meet her Belgian counterpart Charles Michel and hold a private working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron while taking part in ceremonies to mark the end of the First World War.
Last night she was at a Nato defence alliance dinner in Brussels with at least three EU leaders, from Holland, Romania and Belgium.
Aides stressed the meetings were not focused on Brexit but they are timely as Mrs May races to overcome the final obstacles to Britain’s EU divorce.
Senior UK Government sources and others sought to play down immediate expectations.
But Donald Tusk, who chairs the EU leaders’ group, said he hoped talks on a deal between Britain and Brussels will reach a decisive point in “five, maybe six, maybe seven days”.
Speculation of progress was fuelled by circulating claims that a draft British timetable suggests Mrs May’s Cabinet could meet on Monday to approve a draft withdrawal deal including a “backstop” agreement keeping the UK in the EU’s customs union to resolve the Irish border issues. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab would then meet EU negotiator Michel Barnier and the withdrawal agreement and outline future partnership paper would be published on Tuesday. Mrs May would present the deal to MPs on Wednesday.
EU Commission sources say there could then be a special EU leaders’ summit on November 25.
A Downing Street source said: “We are still in negotiations, and on that basis we don’t know when and if this will conclude.” Meanwhile pro-Brexit International Trade Secretary Liam Fox yesterday said the UK must have the ability to leave any post-Brexit customs union when it likes.
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis added his voice to calls for the Government’s full legal advice on EU divorce terms to be published to “pin down” how the UK could exit the customs union before Parliament votes on the deal.