Leaders see possible ‘pathway’ for Brexit
LONDON — Britain’s faltering Brexit negotiations with the European Union got a lifeline Thursday from an unexpectedly upbeat meeting between the leaders of Britain and Ireland, with both saying they could see “a pathway to a possible deal” to handle issues over Northern Ireland.
Meeting at a hotel outside Liverpool, England, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar discussed Britain’s proposal, which would take Northern Ireland out of the European customs union, along with Britain, but leave it aligned with many other European Union regulations.
“Both continue to believe that a deal is in everybody’s interest,” said a vaguely worded joint statement issued by the leaders. “They agreed that they could see a pathway to a possible deal.”
Still, for all the encouraging mood music, it was hard to judge whether Johnson and Varadkar had actually closed any gaps between them or were merely putting a diplomatic gloss on a negotiating effort that could fail before the Oct. 31 deadline for Britain’s departure from Europe.
They did not cite concrete progress on vexing issues, such as customs checkpoints, which Ireland opposes, or the need for Northern Ireland’s assembly to approve the arrangement, which Britain is demanding. But neither did they repeat their past disagreements on these issues.
Speaking to reporters, Varadkar said he believed Britain and Europe could strike a deal before Oct. 31. But he acknowledged potential sticking points, saying, “there’s many a slip between cup and lip.” The normally voluble Johnson left without speaking to the press.
Varadkar and Johnson met for 2½ hours and took a private walk around the grounds of the hotel, a manor normally used for upscale weddings. Varadkar said he hoped the meeting would give fresh momentum to parallel talks between Britain and the European Union, which had largely ground to a halt.
Diplomats said a meeting Friday between the Brexit secretary, Stephen Barclay, and the European Union’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, would be crucial in determining whether talks intensify before a decisive summit of European leaders on Oct. 17.