Hopes rise for Brexit breakthrough as Irish talk up accord chances
HOPES OF a breakthrough in Brexit talks continued to rise as Ireland said the chances of a deal were good.
As the upbeat mood in the EU increased, hardline Tory Brexiteers softened their stance in order to try and get Prime Minister Theresa May to abandon her Chequers proposals in favour of a Canada-style free trade deal.
Following on from positive remarks from European Council president Donald Tusk that an agreement could be reached within weeks, Ireland’s deputy prime minister Simon Coveney talked up the chances of an accord.
He said: “The withdrawal treaty is already about 90 per cent agreed in terms of text, the issues that have not been signed off yet relate predominantly to Ireland and what is needed now is the two negotiating teams to lock themselves in a room for the next 10 days or so.”
Mr Coveney said the chances of a deal being cut were “good” ahead of a crunch EU summit on October 17. The comments came as prominent anti-EU campaigners like Tory former leader Iain Duncan Smith and Jacob ReesMogg told the Sunday Telegraph they are ready to compromise in order to achieve a free trade deal with Brussels, rather than the closer relationship set out by Mrs May.
Such a move would see them back proposals allowing EU officials to be stationed at UK ports after Brexit.