May in Austria to seek Chequers support from European leaders

Prime Minister Theresa May will use today’s gathering in Salzburg, Austria, to make a direct pitch to fellow leaders to back her divisive Chequers proposals.

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said it was time for the “compromises” made by the UK to be “matched on the EU side”.

In a sign that Brexit talks could go to the wire, the EU is preparing for a final deal to be struck at an emergency summit in November, rather than the scheduled October meeting previously targeted by both sides in the negotiations.The deal has to be finalised well in advance oftheUK’sMarch29exit from the bloc so that parliaments in Westminster and Strasbourg can sign off on the agreement.

In Brussels, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, was briefing ministers from EU governments on yesterday on remaining issues in the divorce talks, including the Irish border, as well as the framework for the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

Arriving at the Brussels meeting, Brexit minister Lord Callanan said: “If we are to get a deal there has to be compromises from both sides and we look forward to seeing what the EU side has to say about this.”

The message echoed that from Mr Raab, who set out the UK’s position in an interview with journalists from newspapers across the EU.

Setting out the UK’s hopes, Mr Raab said the Salzburg meeting at which Mrs May is expected to briefly set out her position over dinner on tonight before her 27 counterparts consider the situation in her absence tomorrow, would be “an important milestone” and “a stepping stone” to a deal.

But he made clear the UK was looking for further movement from the EU on the Irish border.

He branded Mr Barnier’s “backstop” proposals – which would see Northern Ireland remain in the EU customs area – unworkable, because they would create a border in the Irish Sea and fail to respect the constitutional integrity of the UK.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar played down the prospect of Salzburg producing any shift in the EU’s negotiating stance.

Mr Varadkar told parliament in Dublin: “I do not anticipate there will be any change to the EU’s position or any change to our negotiating guidelines.”

MOVEMENT: Brexit negotiator Dominic Raab called for compromise from the EU