Brexit deal now ‘essentially impossible’
Merkel’s insistence that Northern Ireland must stay aligned with EU is the death knell, say Johnson allies
BORIS JOHNSON’S allies have accused Angela Merkel of making a Brexit deal “essentially impossible” as the negotiations between Britain and the EU descended into a blame game.
The German chancellor spoke with Mr Johnson yesterday morning and, according to No 10’s version of the conversation, she made clear that a deal was “overwhelmingly unlikely” unless the UK agreed to shift its position on Northern Ireland.
However, a spokesman for the European Commission rejected the account of the call between the two leaders, while Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, accused Mr Johnson of playing a “stupid blame game”.
Last night, Downing Street said that the EU had “24 hours to find a compromise” or the talks would collapse.
After meeting Mr Johnson in Downing Street, David Sassoli, the European Parliament president, said the two options left available to the UK were “extension or no deal”.
He said there had been “no progress” in negotiations and that no deal would be “the responsibility of the UK Government”. He added that an extension to the Oct 31 deadline should only be granted with “good reason”.
Mr Johnson will now travel to Dublin to meet Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, to attempt a final push to secure a deal. Otherwise, the talks are likely to end formally on Friday.
Mr Johnson’s call with the German chancellor yesterday ended with a No10 source saying Mrs Merkel told the Prime Minister the UK “cannot leave without leaving Northern Ireland behind in a customs union and in full alignment for ever” and that Ireland must have a veto on the North leaving.
The source said that Mrs Merkel had “made clear a deal is overwhelmingly unlikely”, adding: “It was a very useful clarifying moment in all sorts of ways.
“If this represents a new established position, then it means a deal is essentially impossible, not just now but ever.”
They added: “She thinks the EU has a veto on us leaving the customs union.”
Mrs Merkel, the source said, pointed out that if Germany wanted to leave the EU it could do so with no problems, but the UK could not make such a clean break because of Northern Ireland’s border with the Republic.
“She said that Ireland is the Government’s special problem and Ireland must at least have a veto on Northern Ireland leaving,” they added. “It also made clear that they are willing to torpedo the Good Friday Agreement.”
Germany rejected No 10’s interpretation. An EU source said the call was “cordial and businesslike” and did not state any new position.
Simon Coveney, the Irish deputy prime minister, said: “There are some in the UK who seem to be planning for a general election ahead of trying to plan to get a deal.”
In an interview with France’s Les Echos, Jean-claude Juncker said a Brexit without an agreement “would lead to a collapse of the United Kingdom and a clear weakening of the roots of economic growth on the continent”.
EU sources, however, insisted that Mr Juncker meant the UK would be weakened rather than collapse.
The Downing Street briefing on the Merkel phone call came just hours after a separate briefing in which a “senior
source” set out Mr Johnson’s likely strategy if negotiations end on Friday.
In a memo widely believed to be a text sent by Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s chief adviser, Downing Street warned negotiations would “probably end this week” and if the deal dies “it won’t be revived”.
“To marginalise the Brexit Party, we will have to fight the election on the basis of ‘no more delays, get Brexit done immediately’,” the memo read.
“They thought that if May went, then Brexit would get softer. They think we’re bluffing and there’s nothing we can do about that, not least given the way May and Hammond constantly talked tough then folded.”
The memo went on: “We will make clear privately and publicly that countries which oppose delay will go to the front of the queue for future cooperation – on things within and outside EU competences. Those who support delay will go to the bottom of the queue.”
The two briefings caused a backlash in Cabinet with ministers, including
‘The way they engaged with us changed the minute they saw the Benn Act. The EU is making a calculation’
Nicky Morgan and Julian Smith, raising concerns about the leaks to the press.
Yesterday, 19 Labour MPS wrote to Mr Juncker urging both sides to “show flexibility” and the EU to “work day and night, if required, to agree a deal”.
Downing Street said Brussels’ reluctance to engage was partly a result of the Benn Act, which requires Mr Johnson to ask for a Brexit extension if he cannot agree a deal by Oct 19.
A Downing Street source said: “The way they engaged with us changed the minute they saw the Benn Act. The EU is making a calculation that an extension changes the electoral calculus and is favourable to cancelling Brexit.”
Mr Johnson’s aides have suggested he may not attend a forthcoming European leaders summit should the talks over a deal fail this week, instead focusing on preparing to leave with no deal.
The Government last night suspended Parliament in order to hold a Queen’s Speech next Monday and set out its domestic agenda.
It means the longest parliamentary session in the UK’S history has come to an end, with Parliament being prorogued until next week.