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| Brexit: Irish PM hints extra EU summit might be needed because 'many issues' still to be resolved– live news | Brexit: Irish PM hints extra EU summit might be needed because 'many issues' still to be resolved– live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Here is the full text of Leo Varadkar’s statement to Irish MPs about the EU summit starting tomorrow. | |
| The Irish taoiseach (PM) said still thought a Brexit deal was possible, but he could not say when. Here is the key passage. | |
| I do not think it would be helpful today to say too much about the precise state of play of the discussions or the exact timeframe in which an agreement may be possible. | |
| I said last week that I thought that there was a pathway to a possible agreement. That is still my view. However, the question is whether the negotiators will be able to bridge the remaining gaps in advance of tomorrow’s Council. What’s important now is that all focus is kept on achieving a deal that delivers for everyone. | |
| This is from Sky’s Stephen Murphy. | |
| New: Taoiseach @LeoVaradkar tells the Dail (Irish parliament) he still sees pathway to #brexit deal but that there are issues still to be resolved: consent [of the people of NI] and customs | |
| From Reuters’ Peter Thal Larsen | |
| Currency markets seem to think @tconnellyRTE is twice as credible as @DUPleader. Pound jumped 0.8% following Connelly's tweet, but only dropped 0.4% after Foster's denial.https://t.co/rNAoR0N3bThttps://t.co/SNVSLZGMwc pic.twitter.com/HRloMmg7x1 | |
| Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, has dismissed the report from RTE’s Tony Connelly (see 1.28pm) saying her party has agreed to what is being proposed on consent. | Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, has dismissed the report from RTE’s Tony Connelly (see 1.28pm) saying her party has agreed to what is being proposed on consent. |
| 'EU sources' are talking nonsense. Discussions continue. Needs to be a sensible deal which unionists and nationalists can support. https://t.co/CpugVBfyBZ | 'EU sources' are talking nonsense. Discussions continue. Needs to be a sensible deal which unionists and nationalists can support. https://t.co/CpugVBfyBZ |
| On the World at One Andrew Bridgen, one of the 28 Tory “Spartans” who voted against Theresa May’s deal three times, said he thought the pro-remain opposition would try to seize control of the Commons timetable for Saturday to allow MPs to vote for a referendum on any Brexit deal secured by Boris Johnson. He said: | On the World at One Andrew Bridgen, one of the 28 Tory “Spartans” who voted against Theresa May’s deal three times, said he thought the pro-remain opposition would try to seize control of the Commons timetable for Saturday to allow MPs to vote for a referendum on any Brexit deal secured by Boris Johnson. He said: |
| What they want is to humiliate the prime minister by preventing him from even bringing forward a vote on his deal, and forcing him to send the letter in line with the Benn Act ... They may well bring forward a confirmatory referendum which, in my view, would be disastrous. | What they want is to humiliate the prime minister by preventing him from even bringing forward a vote on his deal, and forcing him to send the letter in line with the Benn Act ... They may well bring forward a confirmatory referendum which, in my view, would be disastrous. |
| Hilary Benn, the Labour chair of the Commons Brexit committee, was interviewed on the programme immediately after Bridgen. Asked if he knew whether what Bridgen was saying about opposition plans was correct, Benn at first did not answer the question directly. But he did say, if there were an agreement, he would expect to see it brought to the Commons on Saturday. When the presenter, Sarah Montague, asked a second time if Bridgen was right, Benn replied: | Hilary Benn, the Labour chair of the Commons Brexit committee, was interviewed on the programme immediately after Bridgen. Asked if he knew whether what Bridgen was saying about opposition plans was correct, Benn at first did not answer the question directly. But he did say, if there were an agreement, he would expect to see it brought to the Commons on Saturday. When the presenter, Sarah Montague, asked a second time if Bridgen was right, Benn replied: |
| There are many MPs who are in favour of a confirmatory referendum, as am I. If the government brings a deal before the house on Saturday, then it would not surprise me at all if an effort were made to say, okay, but subject to a confirmatory referendum. That is not a surprise to anyone given the growing support that there is for that idea. | There are many MPs who are in favour of a confirmatory referendum, as am I. If the government brings a deal before the house on Saturday, then it would not surprise me at all if an effort were made to say, okay, but subject to a confirmatory referendum. That is not a surprise to anyone given the growing support that there is for that idea. |
| Asked if that would involved opposition MPs trying to take control of the order paper (by using standing order 24), as opposed to just tabling a confirmatory referendum amendment, Benn said that would depend on how the government planned to organise the vote for Saturday. | Asked if that would involved opposition MPs trying to take control of the order paper (by using standing order 24), as opposed to just tabling a confirmatory referendum amendment, Benn said that would depend on how the government planned to organise the vote for Saturday. |
| Earlier I quoted some ComRes poll claiming that more than half of voters want the UK to leave the EU. Other pollsters have criticised the way ComRes presented those findings, arguing that it was misleading because people were asked to choose between three options, not two. I have posted an updated at 9.56am explaining this. You may need to refresh the page to get it to appear. | Earlier I quoted some ComRes poll claiming that more than half of voters want the UK to leave the EU. Other pollsters have criticised the way ComRes presented those findings, arguing that it was misleading because people were asked to choose between three options, not two. I have posted an updated at 9.56am explaining this. You may need to refresh the page to get it to appear. |
| It wouldn’t be Brexit if we didn’t have a contrary view. This is from the the Atlantic’s Tom McTague. | It wouldn’t be Brexit if we didn’t have a contrary view. This is from the the Atlantic’s Tom McTague. |
| Understand this is premature and news to Downing Street: no DUP agreement on consent yet, per senior UK official (though it might happen, of course). Now at *very* delicate stage https://t.co/c4g9CtRfV4 | Understand this is premature and news to Downing Street: no DUP agreement on consent yet, per senior UK official (though it might happen, of course). Now at *very* delicate stage https://t.co/c4g9CtRfV4 |
| From RTE’s Tony Connelly | From RTE’s Tony Connelly |
| BREAKING: two senior EU sources say the main stumbling block to a deal has been removed with the DUP accepting the latest proposals on consent... Optimism a deal can now be done... | BREAKING: two senior EU sources say the main stumbling block to a deal has been removed with the DUP accepting the latest proposals on consent... Optimism a deal can now be done... |
| A fresh legal challenge to prevent the prime minister crashing out of the EU without a deal is to be heard in the London courts on Friday, the civil rights organisation Liberty has revealed. | A fresh legal challenge to prevent the prime minister crashing out of the EU without a deal is to be heard in the London courts on Friday, the civil rights organisation Liberty has revealed. |
| The judicial review action, similar to the case already heard in Edinburgh, is an attempt to ensure that Boris Johnson respects the Benn Aact and seeks an extension to UK membership in the absence of an agreement with Brussels. | The judicial review action, similar to the case already heard in Edinburgh, is an attempt to ensure that Boris Johnson respects the Benn Aact and seeks an extension to UK membership in the absence of an agreement with Brussels. |
| The case is due to be heard on Friday before three senior judges in the court of appeal. As well as Liberty, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has also submitted an application on behalf of three low-paid workers who, it is said, will suffer if there is a no-deal Brexit. | The case is due to be heard on Friday before three senior judges in the court of appeal. As well as Liberty, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has also submitted an application on behalf of three low-paid workers who, it is said, will suffer if there is a no-deal Brexit. |
| Confirmation of the hearing signals a fresh round of Brexit-related legal battles in the courts. The Scottish hearing has effectively been stayed pending the outcome of this week’s negotations with the EU. | Confirmation of the hearing signals a fresh round of Brexit-related legal battles in the courts. The Scottish hearing has effectively been stayed pending the outcome of this week’s negotations with the EU. |
| The Benn Aact, passed with the support of Labour and the broader rebel alliance in parliament, states that the government must ask the EU for an extension if MPs do not approve a Brexit deal by 19 October 19th. | The Benn Aact, passed with the support of Labour and the broader rebel alliance in parliament, states that the government must ask the EU for an extension if MPs do not approve a Brexit deal by 19 October 19th. |
| Liberty launched its action last month after Johnson said he would flout the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act (also known as the ‘Benn Act’). The English courts have been significantly slower than their Scottish counterparts in agreeing to hear the claim. | Liberty launched its action last month after Johnson said he would flout the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act (also known as the ‘Benn Act’). The English courts have been significantly slower than their Scottish counterparts in agreeing to hear the claim. |
| In her speech the former prime minister Theresa May said she was “a little concerned” by reports that the government will have different immigration rules for different regions of the country after Brexit. She said the idea that visas could be issued on condition that people went to work in a particular part of the country sounded like a system for “regional visas”. She went on: | In her speech the former prime minister Theresa May said she was “a little concerned” by reports that the government will have different immigration rules for different regions of the country after Brexit. She said the idea that visas could be issued on condition that people went to work in a particular part of the country sounded like a system for “regional visas”. She went on: |
| I would urge [Priti Patel, the home secretary] to look very carefully at how that can operate logistically because it has some very real challenges. And, indeed, I hear from the SNP benches some muttering that it is an issue that has been rejected in the past by the independent migration advisory committee. | I would urge [Priti Patel, the home secretary] to look very carefully at how that can operate logistically because it has some very real challenges. And, indeed, I hear from the SNP benches some muttering that it is an issue that has been rejected in the past by the independent migration advisory committee. |
| In the opening of her speech Theresa May said government should not just be about positive headlines and great oratory, PoliticsHome’s Matt Honeycombe-Foster reports. | In the opening of her speech Theresa May said government should not just be about positive headlines and great oratory, PoliticsHome’s Matt Honeycombe-Foster reports. |
| THERESA MAY KLAXON. She's speaking in the Queen's Speech debate.Says government is not "about headlines"."You can have the best headlines and the greatest oratory and the most arresting phrases but they're of no use if they don't actually, practically deliver for people." pic.twitter.com/20O8qKddsL | THERESA MAY KLAXON. She's speaking in the Queen's Speech debate.Says government is not "about headlines"."You can have the best headlines and the greatest oratory and the most arresting phrases but they're of no use if they don't actually, practically deliver for people." pic.twitter.com/20O8qKddsL |
| That will obviously be seen as a dig at her successor, Boris Johnson, who is far better than May ever was at coining “arresting phrases”. | That will obviously be seen as a dig at her successor, Boris Johnson, who is far better than May ever was at coining “arresting phrases”. |
| From the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg | From the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg |
| No sense of imminent breakthrough after DUP meeting - still gaps and concerns, and not just on what happens around the border.. feels like long hard day for all concerned | No sense of imminent breakthrough after DUP meeting - still gaps and concerns, and not just on what happens around the border.. feels like long hard day for all concerned |
| Foster staying in London tho, so talks in all directions are still going on...far from resolution, but far from over too | Foster staying in London tho, so talks in all directions are still going on...far from resolution, but far from over too |
| The Times’s Brussels correspondent Bruno Waterfield has posted a useful Twitter thread on the state of play in the Brexit talks. It starts here. | The Times’s Brussels correspondent Bruno Waterfield has posted a useful Twitter thread on the state of play in the Brexit talks. It starts here. |
| Hiccups in the Brexit talks which could go to the wire as late 5.30pm or so. Best case scenario is political agreement at #EUCO which means Brexit almost certainly will not happen on Oct 31 | Hiccups in the Brexit talks which could go to the wire as late 5.30pm or so. Best case scenario is political agreement at #EUCO which means Brexit almost certainly will not happen on Oct 31 |