Eurosceptics plead with May to think again
extension of the transition period as one possibility.”
A senior EU official said: “She said the UK would be ready to consider the extension of the transition period.” However, Eurosceptics have already reacted with fury to the idea, pointing out that it would cost between £6billion and £14billion in extra payments to the EU. Dalia Grybauskaitė, the Lithuanian president, said: “We need a very concrete understanding of what the UK really wants. To stay one leg on the Continent and one leg in the UK is not possible. We do not know what they want, they do not know themselves what they really want, that’s the problem.”
Angela Merkel said she would “try everything to find an agreement”, and Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, said: “I do think that over the coming weeks we should get there.”
EU officials said plans for a November summit had been dropped “for now” because “not enough progress has been made”.
Earlier, Jeremy Corbyn asked Mrs May in the Commons if her Chequers plan for Brexit was dead after she failed to mention it by name in her party conference speech or at any point since. She replied: “The answer is no.”
While Mrs May attended what was originally perceived to be a pivotal summit for Brexit, Eurosceptic MPS – including Mr Johnson and Mr Davis in their first joint intervention since resigning from the Cabinet – urged her to change course in a letter by reversing her Chequers proposal and resetting negotiations while she still has the chance.
The letter has also been signed by Iain Duncan Smith, Priti Patel, Owen Paterson and Jacob Rees-mogg. It says: “It [Chequers] has been formally rejected by the EU, it is opposed by over 400 MPS, and it is less popular with the public than the Poll Tax.” Highlighting the Tories’ manifesto commitment to leaving the single market and customs union, the signatories warn the Prime Minister that she must not “bind the UK into the purgatory of perpetual membership of the EU’S customs union”.
The Prime Minister wants the whole of the UK to remain in a customs union during the backstop period, while the EU has suggested that only Northern Ireland should remain in a customs union and single market, creating a border in the Irish Sea.
Separately, Dominic Raab, the Brexit Secretary, suggested the Government will try to block any amendments to the final, meaningful vote on Brexit.