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The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has dimsissed claims a Brexit breakthrough is close, sparking fresh fears a no deal Brexit is becoming increasingly inevitable.
Michel Barnier said this morning he does not believe any real progress has been made, despite reports from London a potential “review” of the Northern Ireland backstop at a future date could be enough to push a deal over the line.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels as British prime minister Theresa May separately held a crunch cabinet meeting in London, Mr Barnier said the reality is there continues to be “a real point of divergence” between the EU and Britain.
While saying there is still time to strike a deal, the EU’s chief negotiator repeated that there can be “no borders in Ireland” and insisted that as a result he does not believes either side of the stand-off is close to resolving the situation.
“For now, we are still negotiating and I am not, as I am speaking to you this morning, able to tell you we are close to reaching an agreement,” Mr Barnier told Belgian broadcaster RTBF.
“There is still a real point of divergence on the way of guaranteeing peace in Ireland, that there are no borders in Ireland, while protecting the integrity of the single market,” he said.
The comments came as Ms May held a crunch cabinet meeting in Downing Street amid growing calls in Britain for a “review mechanism” to be introduced in any deal allowing any Northern Ireland backstop to be re-examined at the next stage of the talks.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on Monday he is potentially open to “considering” such a move at an unstated future date, on the strict condition any alternative is better for Ireland and agreed by all parties.
However, this is only on the basis of a backstop being agreed, an issue the DUP – which holds the balance of power in Westminster – is strictly opposed to allowing.
Writing on Twitter on Tuesday, DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said simply: “Looks like we’re heading for a no deal.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has accused Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of “losing his nerve” over Brexit after he opened up the possibility of agreeing to a “damaging” review of the Northern Ireland border backstop.
Party leader Mary Lou McDonald made the claim amid heightened Irish fears of the review and after it was flagged in a formal statement by Mr Varadkar on Monday.
In a statement responding to a phone call with British prime minister Theresa May, Mr Varadkar said on Monday he would be open to “considering” a “review mechanism” on the backstop after it has been signed.
This was in response to British calls for the backstop to be time-limited and to potentially only last a short number of months before it is replaced by a potential UK-wide customs union deal.
Senior Irish Government sources have stressed Mr Varadkar’s statement only intended to give British and EU officials space to agree a deal, and that the backstop will remain entirely in place unless a new deal that further protects Ireland’s interests is introduced.
However, speaking to reporters at Leinster House this morning, Ms McDonald said any suggestion Ireland may be willing to budget on the backstop risks severely damaging the country and our Brexit position.
“We are reaching crunch time.
“Last December we were told that we had an arrangement and an agreement that was iron clad, that was water tight, and that would protect Ireland, our peace agreement, our economy, our service provision and the rights of citizens in the North.
“We know that as soon as the Taoiseach made that claim it was disproven, not least by the British government as they rode back from commitments that they had entered into.
“We have said all along that the backstop envisaged is the bottom line, they are the very basic requirements for Ireland to ensure we are protected from the very worst excesses of Brexit.
“We’ve made this point repeatedly to An Taoiseach, to Tánaiste, and we have encouraged them to stay the course, not to lose focus, not to blink, and not to dilute down that stance.
“Unfortunately, it seems now the Taoiseach has perhaps lost his nerve.
“We are very, very concerned to hear any talk of review clauses within a backstop arrangement. The truth is Brexit isn’t a transient matter, it’s for keeps. It’s effects and damage will be enduring.
“By even entertaining any notion of a review of the situation is implicitly signing up to an arrangement that is less than enduring, in other words that is temporary.
“We believe that is wrong, reckless, and we will caution them not to go down that road,” she said.
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