Hopes of Irish border solution

NEGOTIATORS are close to reaching a breakthrough on the Irish border question that would unlock Brexit trade talks, it was claimed last night.

Irish commissioner Phil Hogan yesterday said that the UK had already made offers that go ‘very close’ to meeting the EU’s demands on the divorce bill and citizens’ rights.

And he said a new proposal regarding Northern Ireland was expected imminently – adding the UK’s negotiating team ‘understands what it has to do’ to unlock trade talks.

Further hinting that a trade deal is nearing, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar yesterday admitted that Ireland is unlikely to mount a blockade during talks next month. He added: ‘Things are changing on a daily basis and are rapidly evolving.’ EU leaders have always maintained that ‘sufficient progress’ must be made on these three key areas before talks can move on to a future trade deal. Mr Hogan’s comments came as EU insiders earmarked the Ireland dispute as the biggest challenge to progress in Brexit talks.

Discussing the divorce bill and citizens’ rights, Mr Hogan said: ‘I welcome very much that the UK has put forward proposals that go very close towards meeting the requirements of the EU 27 member states. In the same way that we have seen moment on the financial settlement in the last 24 hours, I expect we will see movement in regards [to the Ireland question] as well.’