The European Union (EU) has issued an ultimatum for the UK to come up with some fresh proposals by Friday to break the deadlock over ongoing negotiations to strike a deal in time for the March 29 Brexit deadline.
While the European Commission’s spokesperson said that “no solution” was in sight as British ministers left Brussels after talks on Wednesday, the UK has claimed that “reasonable” proposals to satisfy British MPs’ concerns about being tied to EU rules post-Brexit had been made.
“These are very sensitive discussions, we are in the meat of the matter now. We’ve put forward some proposals, very reasonable proposals, are we are now really into the detail of the discussion,” said UK Attorney-General Geoffrey Cox.
“Both sides have exchanged robust strong views,” said Cox, who, along with Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay, are in charge of finalising a renewed Brexit deal that would stand a better chance of being voted through by the UK Parliament in a crucial vote next Tuesday.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is seeking legally-enforceable changes to the controversial “backstop” clause in the withdrawal agreement – an insurance policy designed to prevent physical checks on the border between UK territory Northern Ireland and EU member-country Ireland.
MPs, who had decisively rejected the agreement earlier this year, are due to vote for a second time on the deal in a so-called “meaningful vote” next week. If they reject the deal once again, they will get to
choose between leaving the EU without a deal, a prospect
not supported by a majority of MPs, or deferring the UK’s
exit from the economic bloc beyond the scheduled date of March 29. The House of Commons remains deeply divided on all of the options available at this late stage in the negotiations.
“If the Prime Minister’s deal does not get approved on Tuesday then it is likely that the House of Commons will vote to extend the Article 50 procedure, to not leave the European Union without a deal, and where we go thereafter is highly uncertain,” said UK Chancellor Philip Hammond.
Meanwhile, Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn met senior Conservative Party back-benchers proposing the UK enter a Norway-plus relationship with the EU, which would keep the UK in the single market and Customs Union, maintaining free movement of people.
This soft Brexit option has few takers across the political spectrum, with many favouring a much harder Brexit and others calling for a second referendum to put the issue back to the public. At this stage in the process, the practical deadline for securing changes to the withdrawal agreement is being pegged as Sunday night.
If there is a breakthrough, May is likely to travel to Brussels over the weekend to sign off changes with European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker.