May will deliver Brexit ‘on time’

BACKSTOP: BRITAIN, EU AGREE TO HOLD MORE TALKS

Brussels

Britain and the European Union agreed yesterday to hold more talks to try to avoid a no-deal Brexit, after a “robust” meeting between Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission chief JeanClaude Juncker.

A joint statement issued after the talks in Brussels said Juncker had again warned that November’s withdrawal agreement could not be renegotiated – after May came hoping to persuade Brussels to change the so-called “backstop” clause for the Irish border.

But Juncker expressed only his “openness to add wording” to a parallel political declaration laying out ambitions for future EUUK ties if London wants to seek a “more ambitious” closer relationship after Brexit.

After his own talks with May, EU President Donald Tusk warned there was “no breakthrough in sight”, though May said she had seen willingness from Brussels to find a deal.

Talk has been growing that Britain may have to delay Brexit to give enough time to get the necessary legislation through parliament, but May vowed once again to bring Britain out of the bloc on schedule on March 29.

“I’m going to deliver Brexit, I’m going to deliver it on time... I’ll be negotiating hard in the coming days to do just that,” she said.

An EU official said Tusk had asked May about the timeline for British officials and parliament to ratify and implement a deal, but received “no clear answers”.

And Tusk also, the official said, suggested to May that she study a Brexit plan laid out earlier in the day by opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, which “might be a promising way out of the impasse”. May did not respond.

May said she had spelled out to Juncker and Tusk Britain’s “clear position” that legally-binding changes are needed to the backstop to win round MPs fearful it could be used to “trap” Britain in the bloc against its will.

Such changes were not forthcoming, but instead she got a fresh round of talks. –