Boris Johnson‘s government has rejected claims aBrexitdeal cannot be negotiated in time for this week’sEUleaders’ summit after the Finnish prime minister warned there was no “practical or legal way” to find an agreement by then.
The EU’s chief negotiatorMichel Barnierhas stated told EU 27 ministers in Luxembourg that the latest UK proposals were “not yet good enough”. Barnier is said to have told ministers an agreement would have to be reached by the end of Tuesday.
It comes as British negotiators reportedly put forward new proposals in bid to break the deadlock with their European Commission counterparts in Brussels.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
From 15 p € 0. 18 $ 0. 18 USD 0. 27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.
Voices: The Queen’s Speech was a Tory manifesto launch, writes Indy sketch writerTom Peck…
Boris Johnsontold French president Emmanuel Macron that UK officials would “continue to work hard” on securing a Brexit deal, Downing Street said.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “The prime minister had a call with President Macron of France this morning in which they discussed the progress of the Brexit talks.
“ The prime minister said that in advance of the EU council UK officials would continue to work hard on securing a deal.
“The PM and the president also expressed their deep concerns at the Turkish incursion and agreed to continue to stay in close contact. ”
The spokesman characterized the call as a“ constructive ”and“ good discussion ”which lasted“ 20 minutes or so .
The latestTory campaign leafletsreportedly show the party preparing for a delay to the 31 October “do or *** ”deadline.
Leaflets leaked to the BBC reveal some of the arguments the party may use against The Brexit Party.
Lines used in the leaflets clearly suggests the party is expecting the UK not to have left the EU by the time of a general election, stating: “Without a strong majority government, we can’t deliver Brexit,” and “ Nigel Farage can’t deliver Brexit but he could yet block it. ”
Other messages aimed at the main opposition parties include“ Labor’s Brexit policy is more delay ”.
More from the Irish deputy premierSimon Coveney, who has said it’s possible talks will continue into next week.
“If the deal can ‘t be done today or tomorrow in advance of the summit then the leaders will have to decide what kind of mandate to give Michel Barnier, and of course the UK will have to decide as well as to how to proceed, ”he said.
“If there is to be a further meeting of EU leaders, that will be a matter for leaders themselves to decide at the summit, but at the moment there are no plans for an emergency summit at the end of next week. ”
European Commission spokeswomanMina Andreevahas also been speaking about the next steps forward.
She said: “Technical level discussions are continuing with the UK team today and actually as we speak. Talks are constructive but a lot of work remains to be done. ”
On the issue of potential new proposals, she said:” I think it’s natural that discussions need to be prepared, but we will not be providing a running commentary on any documents being discussed. ”
Asked if the two sides will continue to negotiate on Wednesday if a legal text is not brought forward by Tuesday night, Andreeva said: “We are working towards the European Council which is on Thursday, as you know, so in that respect every day and every hour counts.”
Ireland’s deputy premier and foreign affairs ministerSimon Coveneyhas been speaking to reporters following the EU
He said a deal was “difficult but doable” and made a cryptic remark suggesting he sees the glass neither half full nor half empty.
Michel Barnier, the EU chief negotiator whose every word and gesture is subject to intense scrutiny, has now tweeted about his meeting with the EU 27 in Luxembourg.
More on that deadline set by EU negotiatorMichel Barnier– who told EU 27 ministers an agreement over legal text would have to be reached by the end of Tuesday.
“There is a deadline today evening to agree on legal text,” one senior EU diplomat told Reuters .
Another told the agency there was no formal deadline, but that Barnier explained to the room he needed agreement on the legal text by the end of the day to be able to tell EU diplomats due to meet in Brussels on Wednesday that his recommendation was that the Thursday-Friday leaders’ summit approves a deal.
“The work continues, there is still a possibility for a deal, ”a third EU diplomat said.
According to the BBC’s Adam Fleming, jou rnalists are staring at Barnier like he’s “an exotic animal”, as he sits with his team in the canteen.
Former cabinet ministerDavid Gauke, who was stripped of the Tory whip for rebelling over no-deal, said that a delay beyond the 31 October Brexit deadline may be needed to ensure that parliament has the time to scrutinise any deal brought back from Brussels.
Echoing comments made earlier by Jeremy Hunt, Gauke told Sky News: “If he has got a deal he has brought back, I would be supportive… (but) I wouldn’t want us to be in a position where we vote for a deal on Saturday and then something goes wrong in the next 12 days and then we crash out without a deal on 31 October. We need to make sure we are not in that position.
“I am not wanting a delay for the sake of a delay. I want to make sure that we get all the legislation through before we leave the EU. ”
Gauke warned that the focus on Northern Ireland should not divert attention from the danger that an eventual deal might be bad for England, Scotland and Wales.
“What I don’t want is for us to be in a position where we get a deal which addresses the issue in Northern Ireland, which has been the thing holding up a deal being reached, and then we find ourselves in the position that Great Britain – England, Scotland and Wales – are left with a relationship that looks very much like no-deal, ”He said.
“ Parliament will need to be reassured that we are not left with something that is a deal in name only. ”
BREAKING:The EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has told the 27 member states staying in the bloc after Brexit that the latest UK proposals were not yet good enough, three diplomatic sources have told Reuters.
Barnier also said he needed a legal text agreedby the end of Tuesdayto recommend that a summit of EU leaders on Thursday and Friday approves any deal, the sources also said.
Otherwise, he would likely recommend that more talks with Britain are needed past the summit later this week, the sources added.
There are just five days to go until the last major demonstration in favor of a second referendum. Hundreds of thousands are expected to march on the streets of London on Saturday (October to demand a) Final Sayvote on the terms of any deal secured by Boris Johnson.
The People’s Vote campaign has smashed its target of raising half a million pounds and more than 170 coaches have been hired to
All the details here.
The Dutch foreign affairs ministerStef Blokdid not sound as optimistic as others as he arrived for the EU 27 meeting in Luxembourg this morning.
Brexit secretaryStephen Barclayhas arrived for talks in Luxembourg – so it looks as though the meeting of EU 27 ministers will become the EU 28 again for a brief time today.
“The talks are ongoing. We need to give them space to proceed, ”Barclay told reporters.
“ But detailed conversations are under way and a deal is still very possible. ”
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, has said he believes Boris Johnson can get a deal through parliament if an agreement is reached with the EU.
“The votes are now there for a deal,” he told LBC.
He suggested the agreement emerging was more than “Mrs May’s deal with a cherry on top… I don’t like cherries very much. ”
Rees-Mogg also suggested he would“ surprised ”if the DUP weren’t on board with Johnson’s Brexit
Yet the DUP’s Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson, when asked about Rees-Mogg’s weekend comments on “eating his own words” by backing a customs partnership he once branded “completely cretinous ”, said he was not similarly flexible.
Wilson said yesterday:“ Whatever appetite he has for his own words or whatever, we will not be eating our own words. Our position is clear, the government knows what our position is and we will not be dining from a different menu. ”
Former Tory leadership contenderJeremy Hunthas also been asked about the idea of a short “technical” extension to the 31 October deadline to finalize a Brexit deal.
“I think it’s going to be very difficult to get a deal with all the legislation through Parliament by October 31, which is why I didn’t want to offer that guarantee during the leadership campaign in the summer, but I still hope it happens.
“And I still think, for the first time, if there is a deal, and, frankly, if we needed an extension of a few days, I think people would just feel the en d is in sight and that’s the important thing. ”
Nathalie Loiseau, a French politician from Emmanuel Macron’s En Marche! party, was asked if she could see a scenario in which the broad outline of an agreement was reached, with legal texts to come later.
“An agreement can only be detailed , credible, sustainable. And we have to have clarity on every single aspect, ”she told the Today program, adding that it“ has to be able to last ”.
She was also asked about talk of a new UK proposals which reportedly acknowledges some of the EU’s concerns about the new customs arrangement, she said: “This is a rumor, and we have dozens of rumors every day. A lot of leaks and a very hectic way of communicating. ”
Loiseau said there is“ a lot of goodwill and a lot of caution at the same time ”.
On the issue of the backstop agreed by Theresa May, she said it was “the result of two years of hard work and goodwill”.
She added: “You don’t replace it in one minute. This is a very serious issue. It has consequences on lives of many people on both sides of the Channel. So goodwill, yes, but to rush to a deal in any circumstance, certainly not. ”
The BBC’s Adam Fleming says UK negotiators shared new proposals with their EU counterparts yesterday.
Environment ministerZac Goldsmithhas rejected the idea of any extension to seal a Brexit deal in the weeks after 31 October.
European diplomats have been discussing a possible emergency EU summit later this month forge a final deal. If the outline of deal is in place, there is a speculation Boris Johnson might need a short “technical” extension beyond 31 October to allow for the final details to be arranged.
“I don’t think an extension is necessary. If both sides wish to secure a deal, a deal can be secured, ”Goldsmith told BBC Radio 4’sTodayprogram.
“It’s a matter of political will. Where there’s a will there is a way, and that has never been more true than in the case of Brexit.
“And I think it is really important that we don ‘ t continue to extend and extend and extend which is what we’ve been doing for the last few years, because there are issues of trust there.
“But even beyond issues of trust I don’t think it serves our interest as a country to be in a permanent state of division and paralysis.
“We’ve got to get this done and October the 31 st matters. ”
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings