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| Tusk: 'foundations' of Brexit deal are ready but UK has late doubts | Tusk: 'foundations' of Brexit deal are ready but UK has late doubts |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, has said the “foundations” of a Brexit deal are ready for approval by EU leaders but that Brussels is waiting on Downing Street after late “doubts” in London. | Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, has said the “foundations” of a Brexit deal are ready for approval by EU leaders but that Brussels is waiting on Downing Street after late “doubts” in London. |
| The deal due to be signed off by leaders at a summit on Thursday would involve the drawing of a regulatory and customs border down the Irish Sea and a vote for Stormont every four years on the arrangements, but the Democratic Unionist party is still objecting. | The deal due to be signed off by leaders at a summit on Thursday would involve the drawing of a regulatory and customs border down the Irish Sea and a vote for Stormont every four years on the arrangements, but the Democratic Unionist party is still objecting. |
| Boris Johnson told a meeting of Conservative MPs he was hopeful of a deal but it felt like he was on the Hillary Step of Everest, while the summit was “shrouded in mist”. | Boris Johnson told a meeting of Conservative MPs he was hopeful of a deal but it felt like he was on the Hillary Step of Everest, while the summit was “shrouded in mist”. |
| The prime minister appeared to have the party’s hardline Eurosceptics on board, including Steve Baker, who said Johnson had briefed them that the whole of the UK was leaving the customs union. But they added a note of caution that they could not vote for any Brexit deal without seeing a legal text. | The prime minister appeared to have the party’s hardline Eurosceptics on board, including Steve Baker, who said Johnson had briefed them that the whole of the UK was leaving the customs union. But they added a note of caution that they could not vote for any Brexit deal without seeing a legal text. |
| The hardline Eurosceptics seemed to be happy with Northern Ireland in alignment with the EU on customs and regulations if a deal could be sold as the whole of the UK officially leaving the customs union. Their main concern was that Johnson had promised them the UK would have an independent trade policy. | The hardline Eurosceptics seemed to be happy with Northern Ireland in alignment with the EU on customs and regulations if a deal could be sold as the whole of the UK officially leaving the customs union. Their main concern was that Johnson had promised them the UK would have an independent trade policy. |
| However, the DUP made public its opposition to the terms of the tentative agreement with its leader, Arlene Foster, insisting further discussions were needed. Some of the 21 former Tories expelled from the parliamentary party by Johnson also have reservations that the agreement is too hard a Brexit for the UK, putting his chances of getting it through parliament on a knife edge. | However, the DUP made public its opposition to the terms of the tentative agreement with its leader, Arlene Foster, insisting further discussions were needed. Some of the 21 former Tories expelled from the parliamentary party by Johnson also have reservations that the agreement is too hard a Brexit for the UK, putting his chances of getting it through parliament on a knife edge. |
| Tusk said it would be clear by the end of Wednesday whether Johnson had the political backing to go ahead with the revised withdrawal agreement and political declaration on the future relationship with the bloc. | Tusk said it would be clear by the end of Wednesday whether Johnson had the political backing to go ahead with the revised withdrawal agreement and political declaration on the future relationship with the bloc. |
| He told the Polish broadcaster TVN24: “The basic foundations of an agreement are ready and theoretically tomorrow we could accept this deal with Great Britain. | He told the Polish broadcaster TVN24: “The basic foundations of an agreement are ready and theoretically tomorrow we could accept this deal with Great Britain. |
| “Theoretically in seven to eight hours everything should be clear. I was hoping that this morning we would receive a complete negotiated legal text: the agreement. | “Theoretically in seven to eight hours everything should be clear. I was hoping that this morning we would receive a complete negotiated legal text: the agreement. |
| “Yesterday evening I was ready to bet that it’s all set and agreed, today there are certain doubts on the British side. | “Yesterday evening I was ready to bet that it’s all set and agreed, today there are certain doubts on the British side. |
| “Everything is going in the right direction, but you will have noticed yourselves that with Brexit and above all with our British partners anything is possible.” | “Everything is going in the right direction, but you will have noticed yourselves that with Brexit and above all with our British partners anything is possible.” |
| Speaking in Toulouse, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, appeared optimistic on the eve of the leaders’ summit in Brussels. | Speaking in Toulouse, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, appeared optimistic on the eve of the leaders’ summit in Brussels. |
| Macron said he “wanted to believe a deal is being finalised”. Merkel said the news from Brussels “could be worse” but that she would be updated later by the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. | Macron said he “wanted to believe a deal is being finalised”. Merkel said the news from Brussels “could be worse” but that she would be updated later by the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. |
| Earlier in the day, Barnier had spoken of his optimism that a Brexit deal could be reached by the end of Wednesday. | |
| Despite the last-minute threat posed by the DUP’s opposition to Downing Street’s plans, Barnier told Jean-Claude Juncker’s team of commissioners on Wednesday morning he believed a deal could be salvaged in the next few hours. | Despite the last-minute threat posed by the DUP’s opposition to Downing Street’s plans, Barnier told Jean-Claude Juncker’s team of commissioners on Wednesday morning he believed a deal could be salvaged in the next few hours. |
| A key meeting of EU ambassadors with Barnier that was set for 1pm London time was pushed back to 4pm to allow extra time for Johnson to win over the unionist party. It was then delayed to 6pm, as talks in London continued with the DUP. | A key meeting of EU ambassadors with Barnier that was set for 1pm London time was pushed back to 4pm to allow extra time for Johnson to win over the unionist party. It was then delayed to 6pm, as talks in London continued with the DUP. |
| “We are still waiting for a signal from across the Channel,” said one EU diplomat. “A lot of things are happening between the cabinet, DUP and the hardest Brexiters.” | “We are still waiting for a signal from across the Channel,” said one EU diplomat. “A lot of things are happening between the cabinet, DUP and the hardest Brexiters.” |
| 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 or 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 or 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 |
| Despite the prospect of a deal being struck in Brussels, EU sources said the prime minister’s pledge to leave the EU on 31 October, “do or die”, remained in doubt even if an agreement was secured. | Despite the prospect of a deal being struck in Brussels, EU sources said the prime minister’s pledge to leave the EU on 31 October, “do or die”, remained in doubt even if an agreement was secured. |
| EU diplomats said the last-minute nature of the talks meant that time would be required after the summit for governments and parliaments to scrutinise the legal text of the deal. | EU diplomats said the last-minute nature of the talks meant that time would be required after the summit for governments and parliaments to scrutinise the legal text of the deal. |
| As a result, the EU’s leaders will only give their political rather than full formal agreement to the deal when they meet on Thursday and Friday. | As a result, the EU’s leaders will only give their political rather than full formal agreement to the deal when they meet on Thursday and Friday. |
| The EU27 will then want the Commons, in its “super Saturday” session, to give its assent to the revised withdrawal agreement and political declaration. | The EU27 will then want the Commons, in its “super Saturday” session, to give its assent to the revised withdrawal agreement and political declaration. |
| Final EU agreement would be given at a later date, likely at a second summit on 29 October, once the member states had time to work through the legal text. Sources in Berlin have suggested that process could take as long as two months. | Final EU agreement would be given at a later date, likely at a second summit on 29 October, once the member states had time to work through the legal text. Sources in Berlin have suggested that process could take as long as two months. |
| “It is clear that there can only be a political agreement tomorrow or Friday because we cannot see any text. We cannot say ‘yes’ without legal scrubbing,” a diplomat said. “We need much more time.” | “It is clear that there can only be a political agreement tomorrow or Friday because we cannot see any text. We cannot say ‘yes’ without legal scrubbing,” a diplomat said. “We need much more time.” |
| The diplomat added that the leaders would require “clarity from the House of Commons on Saturday because we’ve had three deals before”. | The diplomat added that the leaders would require “clarity from the House of Commons on Saturday because we’ve had three deals before”. |
| “This is the fourth time they want clarity from the UK side,” the diplomat added. “We won’t continue with legal scrubbing and translations to end up with something that is going to be voted down. There is a clear desire for an outcome in London that shows support.” | “This is the fourth time they want clarity from the UK side,” the diplomat added. “We won’t continue with legal scrubbing and translations to end up with something that is going to be voted down. There is a clear desire for an outcome in London that shows support.” |
| A second diplomat said the EU “wanted guarantees”. “Will there be a vote that will show there is a majority for a deal?” the source added. | A second diplomat said the EU “wanted guarantees”. “Will there be a vote that will show there is a majority for a deal?” the source added. |
| The European Research Group (ERG) is a research support group for Conservative MPs who oppose the UK's membership of the European Union. It was formed in 1993 as a response to the Maastricht Treaty which reformed the European Economic Community as the European Community. | The European Research Group (ERG) is a research support group for Conservative MPs who oppose the UK's membership of the European Union. It was formed in 1993 as a response to the Maastricht Treaty which reformed the European Economic Community as the European Community. |
| The group is part-funded by subscriptions paid out of MPs’ parliamentary expenses, and is currently chaired by MP Steve Baker, with Mark Francois as his deputy. Jacob Rees-Mogg was previously chair. | The group is part-funded by subscriptions paid out of MPs’ parliamentary expenses, and is currently chaired by MP Steve Baker, with Mark Francois as his deputy. Jacob Rees-Mogg was previously chair. |
| The group publishes research and reports on the UK's membership of the EU, although it is secretive about its work, and does not even issue a list of members. | The group publishes research and reports on the UK's membership of the EU, although it is secretive about its work, and does not even issue a list of members. |
| Under the deal being negotiated, Northern Ireland would not be part of the EU’s customs territory, but the bloc’s full customs code would have to be enforced between it and Great Britain. | Under the deal being negotiated, Northern Ireland would not be part of the EU’s customs territory, but the bloc’s full customs code would have to be enforced between it and Great Britain. |
| “Northern Ireland would de jure be in the UK’s customs territory but de facto in the European Union’s,” one diplomatic source said of the tentative agreement. | “Northern Ireland would de jure be in the UK’s customs territory but de facto in the European Union’s,” one diplomatic source said of the tentative agreement. |
| Brexit deal back from the brink – Politics Weekly podcast | Brexit deal back from the brink – Politics Weekly podcast |
| Beyond the DUP’s issues with the deal, it is understood the talks between British and EU negotiators have run into trouble on the issue of level-playing-field guarantees. | Beyond the DUP’s issues with the deal, it is understood the talks between British and EU negotiators have run into trouble on the issue of level-playing-field guarantees. |
| The guarantees are promises to maintain EU standards on the environment, tax and state aid to prevent Britain from undercutting the EU for a competitive advantage. | The guarantees are promises to maintain EU standards on the environment, tax and state aid to prevent Britain from undercutting the EU for a competitive advantage. |
| The guarantees are part of the political declaration agreed by Theresa May, which sets out the broad terms for future free trade agreement talks, but Johnson’s chief adviser has sought to have the reference removed from the text. | The guarantees are part of the political declaration agreed by Theresa May, which sets out the broad terms for future free trade agreement talks, but Johnson’s chief adviser has sought to have the reference removed from the text. |
| A diplomat said EU leaders would not agree to the revised withdrawal agreement separate to the political declaration. | A diplomat said EU leaders would not agree to the revised withdrawal agreement separate to the political declaration. |
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