Mr Barclay reportedly told Mr Barnier the deal does not need to be renegotiated (Image: GETTY)
Mr Barclay suggested to the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier that the government is willing to accept legal guarantees instead of reopening negotiations, according to a source who spoke to The Times. The Brexit Secretary put the option on the table during a private meeting on Monday with Mr Barnier, who described the discussions as “constructive” but reiterated the bloc’s refusal to rewrite the withdrawal agreement. After MPs voted to send Theresa May back to Brussels last month to try to persuade EU leaders to relaunch talks on the Irish backstop, they staunchly refused to meet her demands.
The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said renegotiations would not happen (Image: GETTY)
The Prime Minister said she needed “significant” and “legally binding” changes which could only be achieved by renegotiating her Brexit deal.
A source involved in this week’s talks told the newspaper the focus of the UK was on the “outcome” and said as long as the commitments were legally binding, “it will meet needs”.
Mr Barclay reportedly told Mr Barnier the was room for “creativity about how it can be done” and said the attorney-general would deal with the precise nature of the legal guarantees.
The offer, which Eurosceptics will see as a weakening of the UK’s position at the table, and comes after Brexiteers inflicted yet another blow to Mrs May last night
