HELP ME OUT HERE, MAY ASKS EU
I need wriggle room on Irish backstop, she tells leaders at summit
THERESA May warned EU leaders last night that the prospect of a Brexit deal is at risk unless they give ground on the Irish border issue.
Addressing them at a summit in Brussels, Mrs May acknowledged that the agreement signed last month will never be approved by Parliament unless she receives clear assurances that the controversial Irish ‘backstop’ can be only temporary. Downing Street said the assurances sought by Mrs May would have to have ‘legal force’ if they were to succeed in winning over Eurosceptic MPs and the DUP, who have otherwise threatened to scupper the deal.
On Wednesday, Mrs May faced vote of confidence from her own MPs following her decision to pull a Commons vote on the agreement. Last night, she warned the other 27 EU leaders they would have to budge to avoid a messy no-deal Brexit.
She said: ‘We have to change the perception that the backstop could be a trap from which the UK could not escape. Until we do the deal – our deal – is at risk.’
Mrs May said a package of assurances could ‘change the dynamic’ in Parliament.
‘There is a majority in my Parliament who want to leave with a deal so with the right assurances this deal can be passed,’ she said. ‘Indeed it is the only deal capable of getting through my Parliament.
‘I am in no doubt that the best result for all of us is to get the deal done in an orderly way. It is in none of our interests to allow an accidental no-deal and all the disruption that would bring.
‘Let’s work together intensively to get this deal over the line in the best interests of all our people.’
Earlier Mrs May had gone public with her pledge to quit Downing Street before the next election in 2022. In other developments:
Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom told MPs there would be no Brexit vote before Christmas;
Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab publicly called for Mrs May to quit;
Ministers and Tory moderates pleaded with the hardline Brexiteers to end their attacks on the Prime Minister, warning they risked splitting the party.
EU leaders are growing increasingly anxious about the possibility of a no-deal Brexit and were expected to spend much of a private session last night discussing contingency plans.
Belgian prime minister Charles Michel warned that 70,000 jobs in Belgium could be put at risk ‘if there is no good agreement that protects our economic interests and our citizens’.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said: ‘No deal would not be good for the EU, but it would be even worse for the UK.’
EU leaders clashed last night over how flexible they should be but EU diplomats say the most likely outcome is a declaration on the Irish backstop that would carry ‘legal significance’.
Britain wants a legal document which would compel the bloc to do its best to reach a future trade agreement before the need for the backstop emerges. Austria and Finland are said to be more open to the idea, while others such as France and Belgium are said to be more strongly opposed.
Yesterday Mr Kurz, who holds the EU’s presidency, signalled the country’s support for Mrs May.
He suggested text could be added to the political declaration which sets out the framework for the future relationship or an additional ‘provision’ could be agreed on by both sides. He did, however, rule out reopening the 585-page Withdrawal Agreement.
Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar, who met Mrs May before she addressed leaders, said: ‘Some of the suggestions made sense, others I thought were difficult, but what I said unequivocally is that we want to be helpful, we want to help this deal over the line... are willing to talk about explanation, clarification, statements explaining what the deal means.’
Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel insisted the EU would not be able to make ‘genuine changes’ and said he hopes Britain will still call a second referendum.
French president Emmanuel Macron said: ‘It’s important to avoid any ambiguity: we cannot reopen a legal agreement.’
Littlejohn – Page 19