Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 17 Oct 2018
UK PRIME MINISTER Theresa May has said that there’s still time to strike a Brexit deal and to solve the Irish backstop issue.
May and leaders from the 27 member states are meeting in Brussels today and tomorrow to discuss the progress made in Brexit talks. It had been expected that a final deal would be available by now to discuss.
“I will be talking to leaders tonight about the good progress that has been made since Salzburg, both on the Withdrawal Agreement and on our future partnership,” May told reporters this afternoon, before speaking to EU leaders.
She said that although both teams have been working very hard, that avoiding an Irish border and agreeing to a backstop remains an issue.
Yes there are differences on the Northern Ireland backstop issue, by working intensively together, I believe we can resolve those issues, I believe we can achieve a deal.
“I believe that everyone around the table wants to get a deal,” she said. “I believe a deal is achievable and now is a time to make it happen.”
After one-on-one meetings with Tusk, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, May will brief her 27 European colleagues before leaving the EU leaders to discuss Brexit over dinner without her.
Tusk has made it clear that if May and Barnier do not signal concrete progress towards a draft Brexit deal, he will not call a November summit to sign it.
Instead, the matter could either be pushed back to December or – more dramatically – the EU could use the November weekend to meet on preparations for a “no-deal” Brexit.
Varadkar and Coveney
Last night, reports emerged that Barnier was open to extending the transition period in exchange for an agreement on a backstop for Northern Ireland. The UK have been opposed to any deal that would “carve off” the North from Great Britain.
Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney told the BBC that Barnier is proposing an extension, but didn’t say for how long.
Another diplomat warned that the idea “was not really on the table and poses a political problem for the UK”, as Brexiteers are against any proposal that involves extending their stay within the EU.
Speaking from Brussels, Varadkar said that although he’s open to new suggestions on how to break the deadlock, he said that an extension to the transition period “couldn’t be a substitute for the backstop”.
What other leaders think
“I’m an optimistic person but not today, I have to say,” said Slovakia’s Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini.
“I think we will get information that there is still no deal and I think we should do the maximum to try to have an agreement, but we should be prepared as a no-deal result.”
My hope was that today we would have some concrete solution on the table but it looks like it will not be a deal today.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says that he’s “cautiously optimistic” that a Brexit deal can be secured in the coming weeks.
“Basically the debate is centred on the issue of the Irish border and how to prevent a border in the Irish Sea which is something the UK desperately wants to avoid.”
Of course we all want to avoid a hard border in Ireland itself.
At tonight’s Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting, Tánaiste Simon Coveney told party colleagues that the main core Irish issue in Brexit– a legally operable backstop agreed by the EU and UK – is still not resolved.
Coveney said the government cannot agree any withdrawal treaty that doesn’t have the backstop in it, as agreed last December.
- with reporting from AFP
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I’m so irritated with the sentiment in Britain, acting like we’re ruining their lives by being difficult.
They cause a problem, don’t think it through and then blame everyone who points out legitimate concerns.
@Abbie Cranky: what sentiment? I have many friends and family over there and most of them are not in the least bit perplexed by the Irish position. Do not mistake the protestations of the political class with all of Britain.
@Paul Fahey: the political sentiment
@Abbie Cranky:
No one said Brexit was going to easy, work needs to be done. In the long run it will all settle down and life will go on. The Brits has chosen their destiny within Europe , they obviously thought that Europe was a problem to them.
@Otranto: Farage and Boris said it was going to be easy..
@John Ryan:
Yeah, Garage committed 20 years of his political career to having Britain leave the EU, pretty easy.
@Abbie Cranky: It would be a lot easier without the DUP spoiling every opportunity to create solutions.
I’m sure arlene will be on the phone to theresa may after her meeting tonight to tell her “no surrender”
@dick dastardly: in fairness it is not just Arlene, but many members of both the Labour and Conservative parliamentary parties and membership. There is also the small matter of millions of the UK electorate.
We should also remember there were and are loyalist paramilitaries too and if they are not happy with what they seem to view as a betrayal of unionism they may also revert to conflict.
@dick dastardly: I see Paul, in his answer to you, is trying to imply there is some sort of coherent British sentiment toward the whole process that might even coalesce around an arguable position.
Something approaching that would, of course, be welcomed, but I couldn’t advise you to bet evenn a raggedy oul’ fiver you found in the street on that particular notion.
“Leave them to it would” appear to be the best advice.
Soon they will cast around for someone to blame and we need to be able to give them very firm direction on where to put that blame when the occasion arises.
@Danny Rafferty: beyond clueless as usual. I am actually stating that May has allowed herself to be manouvered into a position where she is fooked whichever way she goes. It is also true that the DUP’s strength in this matter is being overplayed, because it is largely irrelevant, May does not even have the support within her own party.
@Paul Fahey: Now Paul, despite our differences I actually have a lot of respect for you.
You post under your real name, and I note your arguments are reasoned and often referenced, though I may not agree with them.
As such, I don’t think you should refer to yourself as beyond clueless.
Coveney was excellent on BBCRadio4 today, really put it up to John Humphries… skip to 2.10 on the link
@Jason Kilroy: Thanks Jason enjoyed that clip must agree Simon Coveney was brilliant under pressure.
@Jason Kilroy: Thanks. He stood his ground well.
@Jason Kilroy: thanks jason
@Jason Kilroy:
Humphrys’ questions were pretty dumb.
Incredible to think the country imposed its rules on most of the Globe for centuries whining like a a baby
@Dáithí O Raghailaigh:good one. the baby that had the candy.
@Dáithí O Raghailaigh: Have to give the EU 27 credit for sticking by us and the solidarity. I was sure we’d be thrown under the bus. Especially after the UK went over our heads and slyly tried to convince other members to drop their support for us behind ours and Barniers back, the result of that was May being hung out to dry in Salzburg. I’ve a feeling the UK never in a million years thought the EU would stand by us and not them, hence why they haven’t a notion what to do next because of it
Did Ian paisley say regarding the foot and mouth outbreak in Britain “ there is clear blue water” between Northern Ireland and Britain! Perhaps Uncle Arnie could adopt the same opinion.
The DUP clearly don’t see they get the benefit of both worlds by a border in the Irish Sea. Good man Arlene!
@Dáibh: They want a hard border not a flourishing economy.
@Dáibh: Blinded by bitterness and hatred.
@Danny Rafferty: lol. Indeed sir. The clowns
A deal is possible if May stands up too those Ulster Unionists unlike Lloyd George 100 years ago.
@Joe Johnson: it is not just the ulster unionists, she does not have sufficient support in her own parliamentary party for this and she certainly does not have the support of those who voted to leave in the first place. Foster and the DUP are being given far too much credit and strength in this matter.
@Paul Fahey: probably not too much credit but they will take the blame when it all goes up in flames. They seem to be gloating at the moment while Boris and co are tickling their bellies but when the inevitable happens they better be ready to be thrown under the bus
@Paul Fahey: Think we know that but they DUP appear to be shouting the loudest atm and the Brexiteers are using them even though they couldnt care a dam about the Irish border issue.
It’s class isn’t it?
They start by saying they need flexible and imaginative solutions.
Then they say they need frictionless trade, although there’s already some friction in trade.
Then they say the UK has to sort a solution that works for everyone.
Then they reject everything.
@Damocles: You mean the British government? Yes indeed.
@Damocles: Then they sit down, well most do, for a bit of dinner and a few drinks (few bottles for Jean CJ), surrounded by about 5 grand of freshly cut flowers, and give the usual rhetoric to the feeding frenzy media. The same stuff which you so precisely alluded to in your comment. Oh and remember “time is running out”
@wattsed: it is indeed extraordinary that we’ve managed to pivot from “working together to create flexible and imaginative solutions” to “This is all your fault, you sort it out and make it perfect only using existing methodologies and better than it is now and then we’ll reject it anyway.”
It’s of such questionable sanity that one can’t help but wonder if perhaps Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour front bench had a hand in it.
@Damocles: Considering the group their MEP’s are aligned to in Brussels, I wouldn’t be at all surprised.
@Damocles:
EU only consider serious proposals Damocles,
problem is Britain is not a serious country.
The Clock is Ticking Theresa ..
It has been since March 2017.
What is being agreed now is the wording and date for the re-run of the referendum where facts are presented to the electorate. Once this is done, it’s goodbye Dancing Queen, hello general election, Article 50 is revoked by the new PM and humble pie time. There was never a notion that Brexit, as (misre) presented was going to happen.
Wish i could work hard like these politicians,sitting around a table.
Last time I tried to Brexit I nearly did a MAGA
Teresa is obviously an idiot.
@Ronan Sexton: nah, she just has to tow the line of a chaotic bunch of idiots
@Ronan Sexton:
She picked Karen Bradley as NI Secretary:
That proves it.
have your say