Sterling falls as UK rejects new EU Irish border offer

Sterling gave up earlier gains and briefly hit the day’s lows yesterday at $1.3098 after the Times reported that Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May had rejected an improved offer from EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier on the Irish border issue.

May will tell EU leaders meeting in Salzburg, Austria, that any solution must be for the entire United Kingdom and that her ‘Chequers’ proposals were designed to address this, the Times said.

Sterling slid around more than half a cent against the dollar after the report to a low of $1.3098 before edging slightly higher to last trade at $1.313.

The pound remained well below an intraday high of $1.3215, its highest since July 17 after British inflation data climbed unexpectedly to a six-month high in August.

“The European Union goal posts are coming in but the UK government posts look not to be shifting for now,” said Neil Jones, head of hedge fund sales at Mizuho based in London.

The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Tuesday the bloc was ready to improve its proposal for an “insurance policy” backstop arrangement on how to manage its Irish border that would avoid creating a physical customs border on the Irish Sea.