Theresa May’s plan to bring a new Brexit deal home from Brussels stalled last night after the EU refused to grant the UK ‘very reasonable’ assurances over the Irish border backstop.
It came after a heated stand-off between EU negotiators and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox as he set out the extra pledges that Britain needs.
Mr Cox walked away empty-handed following four hours of talks after the Brussels team refused to make changes which would allow him to issue new legal advice that the backstop will not last indefinitely.
It cast fresh doubt on whether Mrs May can secure changes in time for the next vote on her Brexit deal, which she has pledged to hold by Tuesday.
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, gave a gloomy assessment of the talks but said afterwards that he was ‘still determined’. EU officials are preparing to work round the clock this weekend, saying it is ‘unlikely’ an agreement will be reached before then and that talks will go down to the wire.
Theresa May’s plan to bring a new Brexit deal home from Brussels stalled last night after the EU refused to grant the UK ‘very reasonable’ assurances over the Irish border backstop
The latest row over the backstop – designed to prevent a hard border emerging in Ireland – centres around disagreements over language which could either form a new document to be added to the Withdrawal Treaty or sit alongside it, said to be taken from a letter written by European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker (pictured)
‘There’s no sign of a breakthrough and there will need to be some tough work in the days ahead if there’s going to be deal,’ one EU official said, adding that it was still possible negotiators could seal a deal by the end of the weekend.
But that would leave Mrs May just 24 hours to travel to Brussels to endorse the deal on Monday before taking it back to be voted on by MPs the next day.
Tory Brexiteers have already warned the Prime Minister they want at least two days to scrutinise any new offer and will not be ‘bounced’ into an early vote.
Mr Cox, who met Mr Barnier with Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay, described Tuesday’s late-night talks as ‘robust’ as he returned to London yesterday.
He said: ‘We are into the meat of the matter now. We’ve put forward some proposals, very
