Boris Johnson’s hopes of a Brexit deal hang in the balance after EU chiefs declared “everything should be clear” by tonight.
UK officials are holding frantic final talks in Brussels on a dramatic afternoon hit by claim and counter-claim over whether a deal was near.
The Prime Minister must either reach an agreement with EU officials – or abandon or delay talks – in time for a summit of all 28 EU leaders to start on Thursday afternoon.
YetBoris Johnsonwas forced to meet his Cabinet for just 45 minutes this afternoon as talks went down to the wire – despite a supposed deadline of midnight last night.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier twice delayed an update to EU ambassadors today by a total of five hours to 6pm UK time.
And Mr Johnson’s scheduled update to Tory MPs at 4. 30 PM
EU Council President Donald Tusk claimed it should become clear on Wednesday night whether it was possible to strike a deal. He told Polish TV just after lunchtime: “Theoretically in seven to eight hours everything should be clear.”
Mr Johnson’s fate lies in the hands of EU negotiators two weeks after he submitted a new Brexit plan involving ‘two borders’ in Northern Ireland.
Under the plan, Northern Ireland and Britain would share a customs territory – forcing customs checks on goods crossing the 310 – mile border with the Republic.
Meanwhile Northern Ireland and the Republic would share EU single market rules – forcing checks on manufactured and agricultural products crossing the Irish Sea.
Overnight it was claimed the UK had made a key compromise on the plan to allow a customs border down the
But that enraged some Tory MPs – whose votes will be crucial if Boris Johnson has any hope of getting the deal past Parliament in a historic sitting on Saturday .
Boris Johnsonsent the EU a new Brexit planin October 2019 to replace Theresa May’s 585 – page Withdrawal Agreement.
It would keep a transition period continuing EU rules and payments to December 2020. But it would scrapthe Irish backstop,an insurance policy designed at preventing a hard border between Northern Ireland the Republic from 2021.
In the backstop’s place would be ‘two borders’:
- Northern Ireland and Britain would share a customs territory– forcing customs checks on goods crossing the 310 – mile border with the Republic.
- Northern Ireland and the Republic would share EU single market rules– forcing checks on manufactured and agricultural product s crossing the Irish Sea.
Customs checks across the Irish border would only take place on a “very small number” of goods, away from the border itself to avoid new physical infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland would get a chance to exit EU single market rules every four years through a vote in Stormont. But this proposal was reportedly dropped after anger in the EU. Stormont has not sat for years and there are fears such a veto would give the DUP too much power.
Mr Johnson’s fate also lies in the hands of the Northern Irish DUP, who had their third meeting in quick succession with the PM in No 10 today.
The hardline party’s leader Arlene Foster held talks with the Prime Minister in No 10 as he battled to convince her to compromise over “consent”.
The EU wants the DUP stopped from having an effective veto over plans to dodge a hard border in Northern Ireland.
She angrily dismissed claims from Brussels she had given way.
Reports suggested EU sources said the DUP had accepted the latest plans on consent. But she hit back: “‘ EU sources ’are talking nonsense. Discussions continue. Needs to be a sensible deal which unionists and nationalists can support. ”
Boris Johnson compared Brexit to climbing Everest and escaping Shawshank tonight in a bullish address to MPs that lasted just eight minutes.
The Prime Minister also claimed the UK would leave deal or no deal on October 31 – despite the Brexit Secretary confirming he would ask for a delay hours earlier.
But Mr Johnson dashed off from tonight’s meeting of the Tory 1922 Committee early telling MPs he had “things to do”.
Tory Brexiteer Steve Baker said the deal sounded like it could be tolerable. But it was not all good news for the embattled PM – who faces a knife-edge vote in Parliament even if he gets a deal with the EU.
Senior Tory Brexiteers emerged from the meeting warning they would not support his deal until they have seen a legal text.
The comments have been seen as a warning to Brussels amid claims MPs may only vote on some type of political declaration, rather than a full legal deal.
Tory MP Bim Afolami said there was a “sense of relief in the room that we’re almost there,” adding: “It’s been a long slog.”
According to Mr Afolami, the PM told Tory MPs: “If you’ll excuse a mountaineering metaphor, we are at the Hillary Step and the summit, you can see but it’s shrouded in cloud.
“But we can see it and we will get there.”
The rocky outcrop named after mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary collapsed in around 2015.
Sources also said Mr Johnson compared Brexit to the film The Shawshank Redemption in which the hero escapes a jail by wading through a tunnel of effluent.
MPs said Boris Johnson told the Committee the UK will leave the EU on October 31 – deal or no deal.
That is despite Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay promising the PM would request a delay by 11 PM on *** if there is no deal.
Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin told the Mirror: “We know he’s been very clear that we will obey the law.
“I think Steve Barclay said if it’s the legal requirement to send the letter, the letter will be sent.
“But the futility of Parliament trying to operate government with a long screwdriver from inside the House of Commons may be about to be demonstrated.
” Because you can’t stop the government using its powers to do other things. “
Sir Bernard – who is the chairman of Parliament’s constitution committee – added: “I don’t know what they’re planning to do – I’ve asked not to be told because I don’t want to know. “
EU chiefs are in a race against time to thrash out a new agreement before they gather in Brussels for a crunch showdown on Thursday.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar said: “We have a pathway to a possible deal but there are issues still to be fully resolved.
“First is the issue of consent and democracy, ensuring that any long-term arrangement that applies to Northern Ireland has the democratic assent of the people of Northern Ireland and second is the whole issue of customs, ensuring that there is no customs border between North and South and no tariffs on trade. ”
The PM’s spokesman admitted there“ certainly remain issues to resolve ”.
He added: “The talks overnight were constructive but there remains work still to do. “
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Brexit news and Brexit explained
As talks dragged on today, Remain-backing MPs traveled to Brussels to ask EU leaders for a delay to Brexit.
The MPs from the Best For Britain group, includingDavid Lammy, Vince Cable and Caroline Lucas, said EU officials today indicated talks will
Ex-Tory MP Dominic Grieve said the Prime Minister must now ask for a three-month delay to Brexit to January 31 – as demanded by law.
Mr Johnson previously claimed he would defy or ignore the law, known as the Benn Act, that will force him to ask for a delay by this Saturday night.
But todayBrexitSecretary Steve Barclay confirmed Mr Johnson would write to Brussels asking for the delay if the Commons failed t o pass a deal by 11 pm on Saturday.
He told MPs: “I can confirm, as the Prime Minister has repeatedly set out, that firstly the Government will comply with the law, and secondly it will comply with undertakings given to the court in respect of the law. ”
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