EU in fresh warning to Theresa May over withdrawal agreement

Theresa May is due to meet with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker tomorrow.

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The commission’s spokesperson Margaritis Schinas confirmed the meeting yesterday at a daily briefing in the Belgian capital, saying that negotiations between May and Juncker would aim to solve the current impasse.

That would not include re-opening the withdrawal agreement though, he said.

Schinas added: “We cannot accept a time limit to the backstop or a unilateral exit clause," he said.

"Further talks will be held this week to see whether a way through can be found that would gain the broadest possible support in the UK Parliament and respect the guidelines agreed by the European Council."

Downing Street has urged the EU to work with the UK Government if a deal is to be reached.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said May and Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay updated ministers on the state of the talks at the weekly meeting of the Cabinet.

"It is still the position of the European Union that they want the United Kingdom to leave with a deal because they acknowledge that is in the interests of the European Union," the spokesman said.

"The deal which is on the table has been rejected by 230 votes. MPs have been clear they need legally binding changes in relation to the backstop.

"So the EU needs to work with us in order to give Parliament the assurances that it needs."

In the House of Commons, the Solicitor-General Robert Buckland told MPs that it would be “reckless and irresponsible to provide a running commentary” on the Irish backstop the part of the withdrawal agreement which ensures a frictionless border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Responding to an Urgent Question from shadow solicitor-general Nick Thomas-Symonds about the options for changing the backstop, Buckland told the House the negotiations were “ongoing”.

Thomas-Symonds had put it to the Solicitor-General that it would be “reckless and irresponsible” to run the clock down and asked if the Government was seeking a new annex or an exchange of letters on the backstop.

The SNP’s Joanna Cherry pointed out that France’s Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau had earlier said there would be no renegotiation of the withdrawal agreement, “echoing what has been repeatedly by Donald Tusk, Jean-Claude Juncker, Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and Leo Varadkar”.

“Now can the Solicitor-General confirm that this is still the position of the European Union and that there’s not question of the withdrawal agreement being opened up and renegotiated in relation to anything, let alone the backstop?” she added.

Buckland responded that the European Commission had made it “very clear that it was determined to give priority to the discussion of alternative arrangements”.

Pater Grant, the SNP MP for Glenrothes, told Buckland that all the usual excuses had been used.

“Blame the civil service, blame Brussels, blame Ireland, for what is an entirely British-made problem,” he said.

“Will the Solicitor-General not finally admit that when it becomes clear the leaving the single market and customs union is incompatible with the Belfast Agreement then the Belfast Agreement has to stay and the Government’s red lines have to go?”

Buckland responded that he was not seeking to blame anybody and that he didn’t believe in “blame games”.

Meanwhile, Irish government has discussed its contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit at today's cabinet meeting.

Despite ramping up its action plan for the UK crashing out of the EU, Ireland's deputy premier has said he does not want to give an impression that the country can easily manage a no-deal Brexit.

Simon Coveney said it will put a "huge strain" on the Irish economy but added that he still believes a no-deal Brexit can be avoided.