EU chief downbeat after No 10 talks
THE European Parliament’s president has said “no progress” was made during Brexit talks with Boris Johnson in Downing Street.
David Sassoli said he had entered Number 10 yesterday hoping to hear proposals that could take negotiations for a new deal forward, but left disappointed.
The blow came as talks to avert a no-deal Brexit were left hanging in the balance amid accusations from No 10 that the EU was making it “essentially impossible” for Britain to leave with an agreement.
“I came here in the confident hope of hearing proposals that could take negotiations forward,” Mr Sassoli said in a statement.
“However, I must note that there has been no progress.”
In the absence of a deal, he warned, Mr Johnson has two options: ask for an extension or a no-deal Brexit.
Earlier Mr Johnson had been accused of engaging in “stupid blame games” after Downing Street claimed the EU had made a Brexit deal “impossible”.
Downing Street sources claimed German chancellor Angela Merkel had made clear that an agreement was now “overwhelmingly unlikely”. Following a telephone call with Mr Johnson, she was said to have insisted the Irish must have a veto over Northern Ireland leaving the customs union.
The claims provoked a furious response from European Council president Donald Tusk who accused him of jeopardising the future security of the EU and the UK.
“Boris Johnson, what’s at stake is not winning some stupid blame game,” he tweeted. “At stake is the future of Europe and the UK as well as the security and interests of our people. You don’t want a deal, you don’t want an extension, you don’t want to revoke, quo vadis?”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman confirmed that there had been a “frank exchange” of views with the German chancellor, but refused to be drawn any further on the “source” claims.
Amid the dramatic escalation in the war of words between London and Brussels, there was apparent alarm among some UK ministers at the prospect the Government could withdraw security co-operation with the EU if it tries to stop the UK leaving in a no-deal Brexit at the end of the month.
Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said: “I am clear that any threat on withdrawing security co-operation with Ireland is unacceptable.”
The PM’s spokesman insisted that Mr Johnson had consistently made plain the UK continued to have “a close security partnership with our EU colleagues”.
The row comes after EU leaders made clear that Mr Johnson’s plan to resolve the issue of the Northern Ireland backstop was not a basis for an agreement.
A No 10 source said Mrs Merkel had told Mr Johnson that the UK could not leave the EU without leaving Northern Ireland behind in a customs union with the EU.