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Updated 1.3opm
THE NEW TEXT of a deal to be offered by British Prime Minister Theresa May on the question of the Irish border is expected to be provided today.
Speaking last night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that May had told him in a phone call that the new text would arrive “by tomorrow” and that he was willing to consider them. That deal would be sent to Europe first, and then communicated to Ireland.
The Taoiseach, however, said that any new offer should not be substantially different to the one offered earlier this week, which was vetoed by the DUP.
He said: “We believe the agreement we had on Monday is one that would work for Ireland. Any new language would have to be consistent with that.”
The DUP, meanwhile, has said that there is still “work to be done” if it would agree to any border plans. Arlene Foster’s party had suggested that Dublin had blocked them seeing the proposed deal on Monday, but this was flatly denied by Varadkar last night.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s nationalist leader Nicola Sturgeon accused the British government of being “totally and utterly incompetent” on Brexit, saying the current situation showed that Scotland should be independent.
“This week, this Tory UK Government — strictly speaking, it’s a Tory/DUP UK government — has been shown to be dissembling, mendacious and totally and utterly incompetent,” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said at a Scottish parliament session in Edinburgh.
During Leaders’ Questions today, Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said if the Tories wanted to “sail into the sunset” away from Europe that is their business, but that the Irish government’s business includes those in the North.
She said Sinn Féin would “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the Irish government if they stand firm. “You cannot afford a fudge,” she told Tánaiste Simon Coveney.
She asked the Tánaiste to commit to the North not being dragged out of the Customs Union and the Single Market.
Coveney said the Irish government has acted “consistently” since the beginning, adding:
I don’t intend to move away from that position.
“The core issues agreed at the beginning of this week are not changing,” he said.
“Of course we will look at other proposals the UK may offer… but the core meaning of the text needs to remain intact.”
With words not usually shared between Sinn Fein and Fine Gael, McDonald said: “I agree with you on all that Tánaiste — we will back you and applaud you for your efforts.”
Coveney said he was aware that he had to be cautious in what he said to the House due to the sensitive nature of the talks, but reiterated that the statements made at the beginning of the week still stand.
No white smoke
The European Commission said this afternoon that there was still “no white smoke” on a Brexit deal and set a limit of Sunday for May to return to Brussels with an acceptable deal.
“So far no white smoke. We stand ready to receive prime minister May at any moment in time when they are ready,” Margaritis Schinas, chief spokesman for commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, told reporters in Brussels.
The Vatican sends up white smoke when a new pope is chosen.
But I would like to repeat what President Juncker said on this, namely that this will have to happen this week, in this building. We work for a full week, 24/7, and our week includes Sunday.
Talks between May and Juncker broke up on Monday without a deal after a pro-British party in Northern Ireland that props up the British leader’s government objected to a clause about future arrangements for the Irish border.
Time is now running out for a deal on Brexit divorce terms, which would allow the opening of talks on a future trade deal at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on December 14-15.
Schinas dismissed British newspaper reports that the deadline could be extended into next week as “not correct”.
Diplomats from the other EU 27 nations are to meet on Monday and would need to see European Council chief Donald Tusk’s draft guidelines for opening the next phase of talks then in order to approve them for the summit, he said.
But EU sources said it was still possible that European leaders could agree at the summit next week that there had been “sufficient progress”, in order to give May a win, while postponing their approval of the guidelines for trade talks.
They could then approve those guidelines at EU summits due in February, or failing that in March, sources said.
With Ireland, the EU, and the DUP now playing the waiting game, all eyes are on London and Theresa May to see what offer she makes now.
In a statement last night, Number 10 said “the Prime Minister said how she recognised the significance of this issue to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland and how this remained a joint priority for both governments, and the EU, to resolve”.
She faces conflict within her own party, with pressure from Brexiteers to ditch talks with the EU, and pressure from more moderate MPs who say leaving without a deal would be “highly irresponsible”.
- Additional reporting - © AFP, 2017
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Why did it take so long for people to start demanding action to be taken ?
@Al Fresco: because it’s so normalised. They’re desensitised to it all and it takes children being murdered again and again for them to care.
@Al Fresco: This isn’t the first time marches and nation-wide protests have occurred. But what do you expect ordinary people to do when there is political obstruction at every turn. Obama tried to introduce gun control legislation and he was shut down by the elements of the GOP in Congress. The Northern Ireland ‘troubles’ weren’t solved by the ordinary citizen. It was a series of circumstances that came together and which allowed the peaceful center politics to carry the extremists in its wake.
@Al Fresco: it’s been demanded before, nothing will happen
@Al Fresco: They get vociferous after it happens in a red state. Won’t make a difference to the guns, god and glory though.
@: yes, I hear what you are saying,
It still baffles me how that it could take so long for a movement to rise up of people demanding “ this must stop, NOW”
Innocent little children are being casually murdered on an almost daily basis,
Make it stop,
NOW!
@Al Fresco: wha…seriously…people have been demanding action to be taken for years…BUT good luck with that when their duly elected officials have been put there by party contributions by the NRA!
If the slaughtering of innocent children doesn’t make them change the laws, I really don’t see how a few thousand people marching in the capital will.
@Sean Murnin: this isn’t the first school shooting and nothing changed in the past
@Jim Buckley Barrett: I am well aware of the history of school shootings in America Jim. That was the point I was making.
Ref the last paragraph, you can’t vote them out unless you have an alternative to vote in. That alternative doesn’t exist. The gun lobby have control of the candidates. When the Democrats had control of the Congress they didn’t change the gun laws either.
@Pat Duggan: they attempted to in 2013 but it was voted down in the senate by a combination of republicans and swing state/obstructionist democrats.
Won’t make a difference to Lynsey Graham, Mitch McConnel etc. and theyre still the ones wholl decide. Awful set-up.
@Rob Gale: what’s awful? The people elected them.
@v39e84kK: I think you meant “That’s awful! The people elected them?”
@v39e84kK: so what…you Reep what u sow?
Nothing will change.
Forget the marches it’s in effective…….starve the NRA. of cash and financial support in America all they care about is money
@David cotter: NRA are bankrupt. How can they be the main obstacle without money?
@v39e84kK: there not bankrupt….gun manufacturers gave them a cash injection to stay afloat
@David cotter: I don’t get it you are saying they are barely afloat how are they influencing all the politicians then? Genuinely I don’t get it, don’t they need a lot of money to buy off the senators etc.
@v39e84kK: NRA is a waning power but the Republicans have moved far more to the right which means that their position is not been dictated by the NRA but by the prevalent Republican POV, which in the end is the same place. No restrictions on guns.
The only way things will change is if enough Dems are elected in the mid terms to have control of both house and Senate (not including Manchin or Sinema)
While the vast majority of people believe in “sensible” gun control, the majority of the money isn’t.
The Republicans will ignore the protests. They are working on banning doors.
American politicians and the NRA don’t have much say in this issue. The US Constitution protects gun ownership and it is not going to change. After the riots millions of Liberals bought guns : it was Blue Cities that burned. Anyway America doesn’t have a gun problem. It has a mental health and culture of violence problem.
@Des Hanrahan: America doesn’t have a gun problem? Are you serious? I would also suggest that Ireland has a mental health problem but we don’t have people walking into schools and shooting children. Wanna know why? Because we don’t have a gun problem!
@Des Hanrahan: evidence on the millions of Liberals claim? The 2nd amendment states “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”, what is not specified is what counts as arms. why is an ak15 allowed but not a rocket launcher? A lot of people would see no difference, the rocket launcher and ak15 are both weapons of war that hold no use for hunting or protecting one’s home but to inflict as much damage as quickly as possible
@Colm O’ Shea: During the riots vast numbers of people who had previously supported gun ownership controls bought guns and found themselves on the other side of the argument. There were so many that they even caused supply problems. The phenomenon was widely covered in American media at the time. So if you want to check it out it shouldn’t be too difficult.
I’m actually surprised the the Irish aren’t out marching/protesting gun control too. We are great at virtual signalling. I do think we should protest and March on the journal, for emojis and a edited button. (Smiley face)
They need millions of people for it to make a difference
Until your 14 year old heart is stopped by a bullet from an AR15 – you will never realise how much you miss your Mom and Dad and Brothers and Sisters and friends. – why are the gun laws so Liberal????????
@Michael Flanagan: isn’t the ar15 banned..wasn’t that the pathetic token jesture they came out with under the Obama administration
@Damien Leen: there was a law which banned them but it expired after 10 years without renewal. Enacted by Clinton and let sunset by W Bush.
Obama tried and failed in 2009
Obviously Americans value their access to guns more important than the lives of their children or they wouldn’t keep voting for these gun nuts who prevent any reform
The last NRA convention attracted more visitors. Personally I would keep up with the free sale of weapons. But I’d make the sale, purchase and possession of ammunition a criminal offence, with 1 month of prison per bullet. Checking the constitution, it only guarantees the right to wear a weapon, but not the right to own ammunition ;)
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