PM rows back from Brexit ‘final offer’ stance as EU calls proposal ‘problematic’
The government has rowed back from its original position that proposals published yesterday would be the “final offer”, as the European Union warns of “problematic points”.
Boris Johnson took his place at the Despatch Box this morning, to tells the Commons that his proposals were a “genuine attempt to bridge the chasm”.
Read more: Boris Johnson: Brexit offer ‘genuine’ attempt to cross EU chasm
Amid repeated quizzing, he insisted there would not be customs infrastructure “at or near the border”, although the paper puts forward recommendations for customs checks at business premises and at other points on the supply chain.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn made it clear he would not back the proposals, which he blasted as paving the way for a “Trump deal Brexit”. Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson argued the proposals were bad for the people of Northern Ireland, and called on Johnson to visit the border towns – something he declined to respond to.
But ERG hardliner Mark Francois indicated that he would back any deal on the basis of these proposals, as did other backbench Conservatives.
While the Prime Minister sought to convince MPs of his strategy – taking a more conciliatory tone than he has until now – cracks appeared in Brussels.
The EU’s deputy chief spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud this afternoon made it clear that these proposals would not be waved through, saying: “there are problematic points in the UK’s proposal and further work is needed.”
She added: “This work is for the UK to do, not the other way around.”
Bertaud said European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker would be speaking with the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar today to “reiterate the EU’s continued unity and solidarity behind Ireland.”
Varadkar gave the proposals a cautious welcome, adding: “They do fall short in a number of aspects”.
“Certainly our view is that any consent mechanism that were to exist would have to be reflective of the views of the whole of the population of Northern Ireland, and not give any one party of any denomination a veto.
“Also we need to explore in much more detail the customs proposals being put forward, as it is very much the view of the Irish government and the people of Ireland, north and south, that there shouldn’t be customs checkpoints or tariffs on trade between north and south.”
European Council President Donald Tusk, who spoke to Johnson this afternoon, tweeted that the EU27 “stand fully behind Ireland”.
“My message to PM Boris Johnson: We remain open but still unconvinced,” he added.
But while Johnson’s team told reporters on Tuesday that they were the “final offer”, today they appeared to row back on that position.
Read more: EU27 to stick together after Brexit blueprint revealed
It was “the basis for detailed talks”, said a government spokesman, pointing to the language of Johnson’s letter, which talked of “compromise” and that this was where a deal “can begin to take shape”.
The spokesman stressed that much work would have to be done in a relatively short time, with the hope that both sides might agree “the detail of a deal” before the European Council, which starts on 17 October.
The government also appears to have backed down from viewing the weekend as a deadline for progress. Currently the status of talks – still in their first day – is described as “technical”, rather than “negotiations”.
Johnson was thought to be travelling to Berlin ahead of the weekend to meet German chancellor Angela Merkel, but that now looks unlikely although a visit during the weekend has not been ruled out.
He is yet to speak to French President Emmanual Macron.
European Parliament, which also needs to sign off on any deal agreed by the EU27, has also thrown a spanner into the works.
The Brexit Steering Group, headed by Guy Verhofstadt, said: “The BSG does not find these last minute proposals of the UK government, in their current form, represent a basis for an agreement to which the European parliament could give consent.”
Main image: Getty