Uni removes Gandhi statue
Taoiseach not giving an inch as British PM tries to renegotiate deal Labour primed to table no confidence motion
A STATUE of Mahatma Gandhi has been removed from the University of Ghana campus in the capital Accra.
Lecturers began a petition for it to go after it was unveiled in 2016 claiming it was “racist” and African heroes should be put first. EUROPEAN leaders were standing by Ireland ahead of crunch EU Summit talks late last night.
Theresa May is looking for a softening on the backstop after suffering a humiliating week in Westminster.
The British PM had to cancel the ballot on her Brexit deal and then face a vote of no confidence that saw a third of her MPS vote against her.
And now to add to her misery, the mood in Brussels heading into the weekend is she will go home empty-handed.
Before the summit officially kicked off Leo Varadkar told Ms May in no uncertain terms the backstop is not up for renegotiation.
The Taoiseach had a private meeting with her just before the main EU Council discussions in Brussels.
Mr Varadkar indicated the backstop is one of those things that was not up for negotiation.
He spoke to Irish reporters immediately after his one-onone with Ms May.
Mr Varadkar said: “What I can say is the backstop is not on the table.
“It needs to be there for a number of reasons. It needs to be there to give us the reassurance there will be no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, no matter what happens, thus protecting the Good Friday Agreement and the Peace Process.
“It needs to be there for European reasons as well, to give Europe the reassurance the open
Varadkar LABOUR could table a vote of no confidence in Theresa May as early as next week.
Shadow Chancellor John Mcdonnell revealed the party was ready to pounce in the wake of Wednesday’s Tory revolt against her.
He said a judgement would be made on what Mrs May managed to achieve at the EU summit border will not become the back door to the single market. “And also we need to make sure Ireland isn’t used as leverage by either side during the talks about the future relationship and that’s why we put the Irish border in there as one in Brussels. Mr Mcdonnell said: “What we want is a deal that protects jobs and the economy.
“If the PM can’t secure that deal, we’ll see on Monday.”
But a Labour official said they are judging the situation “day by day” in the light of Mrs May’s weakened position at Westminster. of the three issues that had to be resolved before we discussed the future relationship.”
He added while there were a number of proposals from Ms May that “might work,” there were also some ruled out straight from the off.
Further details of the meeting emerged last night with a senior Government source saying Ms May was told and understands she cannot get anything that will change the agreement.
They added: “Adding to the text is a re-opening of the text – that’s out.”
The Irish Mirror understands the meeting “lasted longer than normal, about 50 minutes”.
Ms May was told by the Taoiseach an official “declaration” that can clarify, not change, the text is something the EU can offer.