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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/10/boris-johnson-and-leo-varadkar-say-they-see-pathway-to-brexit-deal
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| Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar say they 'see pathway' to Brexit deal | Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar say they 'see pathway' to Brexit deal |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar have agreed they can see a “pathway to a possible Brexit deal”, while acknowledging there are still challenges ahead if an agreement is to be struck at next week’s EU summit. | Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar have agreed they can see a “pathway to a possible Brexit deal”, while acknowledging there are still challenges ahead if an agreement is to be struck at next week’s EU summit. |
| The British prime minister hosted his Irish counterpart for a private meeting at a country house in Wirral in the north-west of England, with both describing the talks as a “detailed and constructive discussion”. | The British prime minister hosted his Irish counterpart for a private meeting at a country house in Wirral in the north-west of England, with both describing the talks as a “detailed and constructive discussion”. |
| A statement said: “Both continue to believe that a deal is in everybody’s interest. They agreed that they could see a pathway to a possible deal. | A statement said: “Both continue to believe that a deal is in everybody’s interest. They agreed that they could see a pathway to a possible deal. |
| “Their discussion concentrated on the challenges of customs and consent. They also discussed the potential to strengthen bilateral relations, including on Northern Ireland.” | “Their discussion concentrated on the challenges of customs and consent. They also discussed the potential to strengthen bilateral relations, including on Northern Ireland.” |
| Inside the EU, both Ireland and Northern Ireland are part of the single market and customs union so share the same regulations and standards, allowing a soft or invisible border between the two. | Inside the EU, both Ireland and Northern Ireland are part of the single market and customs union so share the same regulations and standards, allowing a soft or invisible border between the two. |
| Britain’s exit from the EU – taking Northern Ireland with it – risks a return to a hard or policed border. The only way to avoid this post-Brexit is for regulations on both sides to remain more or less the same in key areas including food, animal welfare, medicines and product safety. | Britain’s exit from the EU – taking Northern Ireland with it – risks a return to a hard or policed border. The only way to avoid this post-Brexit is for regulations on both sides to remain more or less the same in key areas including food, animal welfare, medicines and product safety. |
| The 'backstop' in Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement was intended to address this - stating that if no future trade agreement could be reached between the EU and the UK, then rules and regulations would stay as they are. This has been rejected by Brexit supporters as a 'trap' to keep the UK in the EU's customs union, which would prevent the UK striking its own independent trade deals. | The 'backstop' in Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement was intended to address this - stating that if no future trade agreement could be reached between the EU and the UK, then rules and regulations would stay as they are. This has been rejected by Brexit supporters as a 'trap' to keep the UK in the EU's customs union, which would prevent the UK striking its own independent trade deals. |
| There are an estimated 72m road vehicle crossings a year between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and about 14% of those crossings are consignments of goods, some of which may cross the border several times before they reach a consumer. Brexit supporters say this can be managed by doing checks on goods away from the border, but critics say it will be difficult to police this without any physical infrastructure like border posts of cameras, which could raise tensions in the divided communities of Ireland. | There are an estimated 72m road vehicle crossings a year between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and about 14% of those crossings are consignments of goods, some of which may cross the border several times before they reach a consumer. Brexit supporters say this can be managed by doing checks on goods away from the border, but critics say it will be difficult to police this without any physical infrastructure like border posts of cameras, which could raise tensions in the divided communities of Ireland. |
| Interactive: A typical hour in the life of the Irish border | Interactive: A typical hour in the life of the Irish border |
| Afterwards, Varadkar told reporters: “I think it is possible to come to an agreement to have a treaty agreed to allow the UK to leave the EU in an orderly fashion and to have that done by the end of October.” | Afterwards, Varadkar told reporters: “I think it is possible to come to an agreement to have a treaty agreed to allow the UK to leave the EU in an orderly fashion and to have that done by the end of October.” |
| He added that it was “very positive and very promising … I am now absolutely convinced that both Ireland and the UK want there to be an agreement that’s in the interests of Ireland and the UK, and the EU as a whole.” | He added that it was “very positive and very promising … I am now absolutely convinced that both Ireland and the UK want there to be an agreement that’s in the interests of Ireland and the UK, and the EU as a whole.” |
| Varadkar said he believed the outline of a deal would be possible in time for the crunch summit of EU leaders next Thursday, although “there was many a slip between cup and lip” and challenges remained ahead. | Varadkar said he believed the outline of a deal would be possible in time for the crunch summit of EU leaders next Thursday, although “there was many a slip between cup and lip” and challenges remained ahead. |
| He added that he hoped the outcome of Thursday’s talks would be sufficient to allow negotiations to resume. | He added that he hoped the outcome of Thursday’s talks would be sufficient to allow negotiations to resume. |
| “I do see a pathway towards an agreement in the coming weeks. There are, of course, issues yet to be fully resolved: the first is the issue of consent and democracy, ensuring that any long-term arrangement that applies to Northern Ireland has the consent of the people of Northern Ireland; the second is the whole issue of customs, ensuring that there is no customs border between the north and the south; and also we had a good discussion looking forward to how relationships might look after Brexit, how we can strengthen co-operation north and south economically and politically, and also between Britain and Ireland,” he said. | “I do see a pathway towards an agreement in the coming weeks. There are, of course, issues yet to be fully resolved: the first is the issue of consent and democracy, ensuring that any long-term arrangement that applies to Northern Ireland has the consent of the people of Northern Ireland; the second is the whole issue of customs, ensuring that there is no customs border between the north and the south; and also we had a good discussion looking forward to how relationships might look after Brexit, how we can strengthen co-operation north and south economically and politically, and also between Britain and Ireland,” he said. |
| The pound soared on the international currency markets following Varadkar’s remarks, reflecting rising optimism in the City over the possibility of a deal. | |
| Sterling jumped by about 2 cents against the dollar and the euro to the highest levels in a week, coming close to $1.24 and €1.13 on the foreign exchanges. Despite the gains, the pound remains heavily down from spring this year when hopes of a deal with Brussels were at their highest. | |
| The leaders’ meeting lasted three hours, significantly longer than expected, with sufficient movement on both sides to allow the lpair to agree that there was now a basis for substantive negotiations. | |
| There was no further detail on how the two sides could reach a compromise, but it will revive Johnson’s hopes for a deal at next week’s EU summit. | There was no further detail on how the two sides could reach a compromise, but it will revive Johnson’s hopes for a deal at next week’s EU summit. |
| Nissan: no-deal Brexit would jeopardise entire European business model | Nissan: no-deal Brexit would jeopardise entire European business model |
| The key stumbling blocks to a deal for Ireland have been Johnson’s proposal to take Northern Ireland out of the EU customs union on Brexit day, and his plan to give the defunct Stormont assembly the final say on whether the region should also stay aligned to EU rules on goods and agrifood. | The key stumbling blocks to a deal for Ireland have been Johnson’s proposal to take Northern Ireland out of the EU customs union on Brexit day, and his plan to give the defunct Stormont assembly the final say on whether the region should also stay aligned to EU rules on goods and agrifood. |
| Earlier this week, Varadkar said he thought it would be “very difficult” to secure an agreement by the time of the EU summit, but all efforts were focused on doing so because the stakes were so high. He also said the UK had “repudiated” the previous deal negotiated with Theresa May’s government to ensure no hard border re-emerged on the island of Ireland because of Brexit. The British had “sort of put half of that now back on the table, and are saying that’s a concession. And of course it isn’t really,” he said at the time. | |
| By contrast, his tone outside the meeting on Thursday was markedly more optimistic, as he said he believed the “objectives” of the backstop could be achieved. | |
| “I can’t predict that with any certainty but I think all sides would like there to be an agreement next week at the council if possible, and obviously there is a further deadline after that which is 31 October, so I would say a short pathway rather than a long pathway.” | |
| He expressed hope that talks could take place away from the glare of the media and the acrimony of anonymous briefings. Varadkar said he and Johnson had agreed not to disclose any new proposals that might have been put on the table, and that talks would now move to Brussels where the Brexit secretary, Steve Barclay, is meeting the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, tomorrow. | |
| Asked what concessions both sides had made, he said: “In terms of concessions, I don’t think this should be seen in the context of who is making concessions, or winners and losers. I don’t think that’s the game any of us want to play. | |
| “What this is about is securing an agreement that works for the people of Ireland, also the people of Britain and Europe, and if it works for the people of Ireland what it means is avoiding a hard border between north and south. | |
| “That’s always been our primary objective: ensuring the all-island economy can continue to develop and that north-south cooperation, as envisaged by the Good Friday agreement, can resume, and those are our objectives. | |
| “This has always been about achieving those objectives and I think today they can be achieved,” he said. | |
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