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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/oct/11/brexit-barnier-and-barclay-hold-talks-after-positive-johnson-varadkar-meeting-on-potential-deal-live-news
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| Brexit: Barnier and Barclay hold talks after positive Johnson-Varadkar meeting on potential deal - live news | Brexit: Barnier and Barclay hold talks after positive Johnson-Varadkar meeting on potential deal - live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Barnier, Barclay and Tim Barrow, the UK ambassador to the EU, all looked fairly jolly before their talks at the European Commission HQ in Brussels. | Barnier, Barclay and Tim Barrow, the UK ambassador to the EU, all looked fairly jolly before their talks at the European Commission HQ in Brussels. |
| The Pro-Brexit Tory MP, Nigel Evans, has said members of the Eurosceptic European Research Group could vote for concessions on Northern Ireland if the DUP was in favour. | The Pro-Brexit Tory MP, Nigel Evans, has said members of the Eurosceptic European Research Group could vote for concessions on Northern Ireland if the DUP was in favour. |
| “I think it is very difficult to get it through without the DUP, but we have seen a shift from the DUP already,” he said according to PA. | “I think it is very difficult to get it through without the DUP, but we have seen a shift from the DUP already,” he said according to PA. |
| “And if the DUP are in favour of it, it’d be very difficult for the ERG to go against.” | “And if the DUP are in favour of it, it’d be very difficult for the ERG to go against.” |
| Evans said the ERG had not been briefed on the exchanges between Johnson and Varadkar. He said: | Evans said the ERG had not been briefed on the exchanges between Johnson and Varadkar. He said: |
| “We’re going to look at the detail - none of us know. | “We’re going to look at the detail - none of us know. |
| “I believe it is three dimensional poker and we’re playing very high risk stakes here. | “I believe it is three dimensional poker and we’re playing very high risk stakes here. |
| “But at the end of the day, I think there’s a realisation by the European Union that Boris Johnson, completely different to Theresa May, is prepared to leave the European Union on October 31, unlike the March 29 deadline which was movable.” | “But at the end of the day, I think there’s a realisation by the European Union that Boris Johnson, completely different to Theresa May, is prepared to leave the European Union on October 31, unlike the March 29 deadline which was movable.” |
| ITV’s Joe Pike has been told that the Labour defector, Angela Smith, now a Lib Dem MP, plans to stand against the Tory backbench shop steward Graham Brady. | ITV’s Joe Pike has been told that the Labour defector, Angela Smith, now a Lib Dem MP, plans to stand against the Tory backbench shop steward Graham Brady. |
| She faces a tough battle: In 2017 Brady secured a majority of more than 6,000 votes over Labour with the LibDems a very distant third. | She faces a tough battle: In 2017 Brady secured a majority of more than 6,000 votes over Labour with the LibDems a very distant third. |
| Angela Smith says: ‘Me and the @LibDems are confident we stand an excellent chance of winning the seat.’The Altrincham constituency leans Remain and Sir Graham Brady is pro-Brexit. | Angela Smith says: ‘Me and the @LibDems are confident we stand an excellent chance of winning the seat.’The Altrincham constituency leans Remain and Sir Graham Brady is pro-Brexit. |
| Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage, sees an opening in all the speculation about compromises. | Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage, sees an opening in all the speculation about compromises. |
| Varadkar says a new “treaty agreement” is possible by the end of October. We didn’t vote Brexit to leave one EU treaty and sign up to another. | Varadkar says a new “treaty agreement” is possible by the end of October. We didn’t vote Brexit to leave one EU treaty and sign up to another. |
| And Leave.EU, the pro-Brexit group that Farage founded, reckons reckons Johnson has “blinked”. | And Leave.EU, the pro-Brexit group that Farage founded, reckons reckons Johnson has “blinked”. |
| If a deal is in the offing, as today's media excitedly report, it means someone's blinked, and it looks like it's Boris. The PM's original proposal provided for a DUP veto. Not so, says the Northern Ireland Secretary, "I can tell you it doesn't mean a veto for one community". pic.twitter.com/efKRzUnsA3 | If a deal is in the offing, as today's media excitedly report, it means someone's blinked, and it looks like it's Boris. The PM's original proposal provided for a DUP veto. Not so, says the Northern Ireland Secretary, "I can tell you it doesn't mean a veto for one community". pic.twitter.com/efKRzUnsA3 |
| The education secretary, Gavin Williamson, insists the Cabinet has been briefed on what was agreed between Johnson and Varadkar. | The education secretary, Gavin Williamson, insists the Cabinet has been briefed on what was agreed between Johnson and Varadkar. |
| But he has been giving nothing away in a round of broadcast interviews. “I had a very nice briefing this morning which was very much appreciated,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. | But he has been giving nothing away in a round of broadcast interviews. “I had a very nice briefing this morning which was very much appreciated,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. |
| Asked what the reason was for optimism following the meeting, he said: “It does not benefit anyone to have a running commentary on live negotiations.” | Asked what the reason was for optimism following the meeting, he said: “It does not benefit anyone to have a running commentary on live negotiations.” |
| Welcome to a Friday edition of Politics live after an unexpectedly positive Brexit meeting between Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar. | Welcome to a Friday edition of Politics live after an unexpectedly positive Brexit meeting between Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar. |
| Positive but also very private – it is unclear even whether the UK cabinet has been briefed on the detail of what was discussed. The two prime minister agreed a delphic joint statement after their meeting at a wedding hotel in Wirral. | |
| Andrew Sparrow, who is taking well-earned break from live blogging duty, has a helpful guide on what the joint statement could mean. | Andrew Sparrow, who is taking well-earned break from live blogging duty, has a helpful guide on what the joint statement could mean. |
| The Brexit Secretary, Stephen Barclay, has just started talks in Brussels with the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier, to see if they can build on whatever was agreed by Johnson and Varadkar. | The Brexit Secretary, Stephen Barclay, has just started talks in Brussels with the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier, to see if they can build on whatever was agreed by Johnson and Varadkar. |
| The Northern Ireland secretary, Julian Smith, has hinted that Johnson compromised on a proposal to give the suspended Stormont assembly a say every four years on Northern Ireland staying in the the European single market for goods but leave the customs union. | The Northern Ireland secretary, Julian Smith, has hinted that Johnson compromised on a proposal to give the suspended Stormont assembly a say every four years on Northern Ireland staying in the the European single market for goods but leave the customs union. |
| Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland, he said: “What I’m committing to is that we are not going to have one party having a veto over any element of this situation.” | Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland, he said: “What I’m committing to is that we are not going to have one party having a veto over any element of this situation.” |
| Downing Street pointed out that so few people have been briefed about what was proposed that any comments about what could be involved is just speculation. | Downing Street pointed out that so few people have been briefed about what was proposed that any comments about what could be involved is just speculation. |