Brexit talks in crisis as PM’s Irish border plans rejected
BREXIT talks are at stalemate after Brussels rejected all the UK’s proposals to solve the Irish border question.
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, said there now was a 25% risk that the talks could collapse.
He said Northern Ireland would have to stay in the customs union if there were no deal on how to police trade with the Republic.
Mr Barnier said: “If there is no agreement, there is no orderly withdrawal, there is no transition.” EU officials have thrown out all Theresa May’s solutions to the Irish border problem. “It was a detailed and forensic rebuttal,” a source said. “None of the UK’s customs options will work.” Mrs May is under pressure to commit to stay in the customs union to break the deadlock – but that would cause a revolt by Brexit-backing Tories.