Brexit deal in tatters.. again
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SIMON Coveney says it is “incredible” the British parliament has allowed Brexit talks to get to the state they are in.
The Tanaiste claimed one of the big mistakes in London was the perspective “the EU needs a deal as much as we need a deal”.
He added: “That is just factually not true first and foremost. But we do want a deal, when I say we I am talking about the EU.
“We want to be reasonable and fair about that.”
Mr Coveney said it was “regrettable” the Government and Opposition in the UK have not co-operated in the way politicians here have.
His words came as Theresa May suffered yet another humiliating Commons defeat after MPS again voted down her latest Brexit plans.
On another dramatic day at Westminster yesterday, MPS voted by 303 to 258 against the motion endorsing the Government’s approach.
SUPPORT
The defeat came after the pro-brexit Tory European Research Group announced it had taken a “collective decision” to abstain.
Furious members said supporting the motion would have amounted to an endorsement of efforts to rule out a no-deal Brexit.
The wording of the motion called on MPS to reiterate their support for the approach set out in an earlier set of votes on
January 29.
On that occasion, the
Commons voted for a Government-backed amendment calling on ministers to re-open negotiations with Brussels on the Northern Ireland backstop. However, it also voted for a non-binding cross-party amendment rejecting a no-deal break with the EU. Following the vote, Labour leader Jeremy
Corbyn said
Mrs May needed to accept her strategy had failed and come forward with a plan that could bring people together to prevent the “catastrophe” of a no-deal.
He said: “The Government cannot keep on ignoring Parliament and ploughing on towards March 29 without a coherent plan.
“She cannot keep on just running down the clock and hoping something will turn up that will save her day and save her face.”