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THE HOUSE OF COMMONS could back a “version” of Theresa May’s Brexit deal if MPs could get assurance from the European Union, according to British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Hunt told BBC Radio 4 “the thing that the House of Commons won’t accept is any risk of us being permanently trapped through the Northern Ireland backstop in the customs union” but that the only way to get it through is to have a version of the deal that the UK government has negotiated.
May had postponed the House of Commons vote on her deal after forecasts predicted it had no chance of being approved: some MPs expressed concern at the idea of the UK remaining in a customs deal with the EU indefinitely, and without having any unilateral power to withdraw from the backstop if the next round of talks fail.
She had thought that if the EU were to give additional assurances, that the deal might pass through the House of Commons; but she failed to gain any additional promises to time-limit the backstop or to give the UK more power to leave it in the future.
Hunt told the BBC that he believes a parliamentary majority for any form of Brexit is possible “with those guarantees that we need on the backstop”.
Out of 585 pages, of a very very dense agreement, this is just one outstanding issue. If we can crack this we can get the deal through.
Following Friday’s summit in Brussels, May says that Britain and the EU will hold more talks in the coming days, denying reports that bloc leaders refused her plea for reassurances on her Brexit plan.
With May having promised to have something to offer MPs before they finally vote on the Brexit deal by 21 January, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said she would have to come up with proposals in the next few weeks if she wanted Europe’s support.
However, he said he would publish further plans on Wednesday to protect European businesses and citizens in case the deal fails, and Britain exits on 29 March with no new arrangements place.
With reporting from - © AFP 2018
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May doesn’t want ‘assurances, promises or clarifications’. She is looking for a legally binding appendum to the withdrawal agreement. She needs to just come out and say it, let the EU refuse and then kick this whole mess back to the UK parliament. It’s either a no-deal exit or they revoke article 50 and call a new referendum. Wish they would just get on with it.
@Tommy Roche: they want a temporary backstop and they can fcuk off cos they’re not to be trusted at all
@Seamus G:
Great comment.
After the UK “f***ks off ” it will be Ireland that builds the border.
October 2017. They demand a legal back stop. We happily oblige.
December 2017 They refuse to sign it.
We say sign.
They sign.
March 2017. They say it doesn’t matter it they signed it they can change there mind.
We say no.
They agree.
June 2018 they say the backstop cant cause a border in the sea.
We don’t budge.
They begin hiring extra internal port inspectors. October 2018 they demand a unilateral end to back stop.
We say no.
They agree.
November 2018 they demand a back stop end date.
We say no.
They agree.
December 2018 they demand another unilateral end to the back stop.
We say no.
They agree.
And now they are saying in January 2018 they will demand another back stop end date.
We will say no.
I wonder what they will do.
@Dick Face: did that kitten consent to being stroked?
#meowtoo
@Edmund Murphy: Who’s this “we”?
@Mike Conway: Give a guess. Go on.
I wounder how many in mainland UK realise that N Ireland which voted remain is the only thing holding up thier brexit. Why not let N Ireland vote, the result might be a surprise
@Nicholas Lynch: well obviously NI would be likely to vote to leave UK and stay in the EU but then you’d have Wales and Scotland asking to do the same until the U.K. Would contain just Britain. It was a BRexit that was voted for not a UKexit and it looks like thatvus where we are headed.
@Sean: Wales and Scotland are Britian, do you mean England.? . Maybe there should be an ENGlexit only, that would fit the voting pattern.
@Sean: as Northern Ireland is not part if Britain but is part of the UK then technically it is a UKexit and not a Brexit.
@Nicholas Lynch: al Jazeera did a piece during the week about where the money came from and went to in the leave campaign. The dup were up to their necks in it taking a big donation and using it for advertising for leave.
No matter what happens, you’d have to believe that the UKs relationship with it’s closest EU neighbours is damaged irrevocably.
Their politicians, helped by their media have spewed vile accusations, lied to their own people and made all sorts of derogatory remarks about their neighbours. What EU leaders or negotiators will want to sit round a table with their UK counterparts.
@ianglen: i wouldn’t agree the relations between the UK have irrevocably damaged their relations with neighbours – the EU negotiators are aware that this is a game of negotiation and have played their cards for better on the whole Brexit mess since day one….they also know that in reality we are talking billions and billions of Euro in two way trade – they are just playing the game to try get the Brexit that is least damaging to everyone – even May knows that the reality of the No Deal reality actually being allowed to go ahead is pretty unlikely because it is so damaging to everyone – esp UK – that they HAVE to try get unstuck and get SOME version of an exit that allows trade to continue – nothing is irrevocably done even at this late stage – expect the next few week to be used to ratchet up a ‘reality bites’ syle of messaging and the hope that ONE of the more palatable options other than a NO DEAL will put to the Parliment or the People to vote again…wait and see..
The truth about globalism from Brexiteers eventually come true. No matter how much one hates it (immigrants, big trading blocks making the rules) it is the world we live in today and that world is about getting access to hundreds of millions of the world’s wealthiest populace. Britain outside the EU loses access to the EU’s marketplace and the EU’s FTA trade deals to sixty-one countries outside the EU. Getting a free-trade deal on goods is easy, its almost impossible when it comes to service, capital, and supply chains. There are three big marketplaces on the planet, namely EU, ASEAN, and USA. All three are highly protective and use their size as leverage to get trade deals that suit them. ASEAN or USA would be more than happy to sign Britain up to an FTA deal on goods and send a super-sized container ship to Britain’s shores, but that is missing the point completely of being a member of a trading block and it can have detrimental effects like a large quota of NZ / Australian lamb putting Welsh farmers out of business. Hence trade deals take years to accomplish in order to set tariffs correctly and get a trade deal that is suitable for Britain. The Brexiteers are liars, who know full well that Britain will never leave the EU as Westminster will never allow it, they are doing it for their own selfish political gain or have ulterior motives that are not transparent. Leaving the EU for a special trade deal with USA will not be a good idea, for starters American industry will colonise the UK and USA is too far away for Britain to access American supply chains. Ships take a long time as opposed to road, rail, sea, and air transportation links with EU and the fact Europe is on Britain’s doorstep.
@David Jacobsen: “Britain outside the EU loses access to the EU marketplace” – care to elaborate ?
How many countries trade with the EU on WTO terms or simply “Trade Agreements”
Didn’t the UK and Switzerland only yesterday approve a TA ?
@Dave Hammond: 52 countries, and none would wish to agree specific trade deals with a country of 60 million consumers, and the UK would lose access to the EU marketplace – is that suggest trade between the EU and UK stops ?
@wattsed56:
People can’t see beyond goods. LOL.
@wattsed56:
It’s not just about goods. LOL.
@David Jacobsen:
There is goods, services, and capital. Britain’s finance industry needs access to services and capital. EU derivatives are worth trillions. “ESMA DATA ANALYSIS VALUES EU DERIVATIVES MARKET AT €660 TRILLION WITH CENTRAL CLEARING INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY”
“We are pursuing something idiotic, can you please reassure our voters into accepting it” ~UKgov
On the subject of wishful thinking over Brexit, seen a great headline on the Guardian website earlier. “Bishops to pray for politicians integrity amid turmoil”. Couldn’t help thinking it was a bit like the tooth fairy waiting by the fire on Xmas Eve, hoping to get a glimpse of Santa coming down the chimney.
The eu are going to steer clear of that shambles in the house of commons until the brits get their act together the sooner they realise that the better for all concerned the uk is not the centre of the universe
The British at ((this stage should just do a hard brexit. The country which would suffer most would be Ireland….this should be no problem as all leo’s buddies in the EU will give us a dig out ??….(the sound of slamming doors would be loud)
It’s not just the unlimited life of the backstop in the withdrawal agreement, albeit that’s the issue which has united all parties, many MP’s have serious concerns relative to the proposed political statement.
If they had of put a cap on number of immigrants from one Eu country to another all this brexit nonsense would have been avoided.
Just give the British people what they want another referendum
Uggg
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