Brexit deal not reached despite 'intense efforts' in Brussels
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier confirms problems remain including Irish border
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A Brexit deal has not been struck despite “intense efforts” in Brussels on Sunday, Michel Barnier has said.
Reports claimed a “negotiator-level” agreement had been reached and Dominic Raab, the UK Brexit secretary, made a snap trip to Belgium to meet with Mr Barnier.
But the EU’s chief negotiator later tweeted: “We met today @DominicRaab and UK negotiating team. Despite intense efforts, some key issues are still open, including the backstop for IE/NI to avoid a hard border.”
Mr Barnier said he would debrief the 27 remaining EU states and the European Parliament on the state of the negotiations.
No further negotiations are planned before European leaders including Theresa May meet for a further summit in Brussels on Wednesday, according to a senior EU diplomat.
“Despite constructive and intensive negotiations, several key issues remain unresolved,” one senior EU diplomat said. “No further negotiations are planned ahead of the European Council. The EU negotiator will brief the leaders who will then assess the progress so far.”
Mr Barnier’s announcement immediately deflated speculation of a breakthrough in the difficult negotiations, following Mr Raab’s surprise trip to Brussels and the summoning of ambassadors to a meeting at EU headquarters.
Both sides had indicated they want to sign off on a draft withdrawal agreement to set out the terms of Britain’s divorce from the EU.
One of the most pressing issues is the Northern Irish backstop, a mechanism to avoid a hard border.
The EU’s version of the backstop, which would see just Northern Ireland remain aligned with Brussels’ rules, has been called unacceptable by Ms May and is loathed by her DUP allies.
Ms May’s counter-proposal is for a “temporary customs arrangement” for the whole of the UK, but Tory Brexiteers fear this could become an open-ended position which would prevent free trade deals with countries around the world.
Brexit casualties
Show all 10David Davis has told Tory MPs they should trigger a leadership contest to topple Theresa May unless she drops her Brexit plan this week.
The former Brexit secretary, who resigned over the PM’s Chequers proposal in July, hopes to trigger a leadership contest if she refuses to “budge” before Wednesday’s crunch EU summit.
Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, has also hinted she would resign if the Brexit deal gives Northern Ireland special trading terms with the EU.
The failure of the meeting between Mr Raab and Mr Barnier was described as a setback by Ireland’s ambassador to the UK, Adrian O’Neill.
He suggested that a special EU summit in November could be used as an emergency meeting to discuss a no-deal Brexit rather than signing off any agreement.
“Time is running out, there is no doubt about that,” Mr O’Neill told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour. “In all member states preparation for all eventualities are ramping up quite significantly.
“I think if at this week’s European Council meeting there isn’t some way forward, well then I think we will probably see people could decide to avail of the opportunity for the November meeting to focus on preparations for a no-deal outcome.
“But I don’t think we are there yet, there is still a lot of negotiating to be done.”
Mr O’Neill added: “I suspect on all sides there is still a deep determination to try and move forward.”
Additional reporting by agencies
See below how we covered this story live
A Politico report has cited three EU diplomats as saying a Brexit deal has been reached, including a transition period.
It said the agreement had been reached at "negotiator level" only.
Reuters reports that three diplomats told its journalists the same thing - but others "with knowledge of the negotiations" said that was not true.
A senior UK government source attempted to play down reports that a deal had been done, the Press Association reported.
"It's very much in the EU's interests to make it look like there is a deal," the source said, because it would then leave the UK looking "like we are the ones being intransigent".
There are still some "big issues" to be resolved and "Dominic has gone out there to try to resolve the outstanding issues".
An exclusive story from our deputy political editor, Rob Merrick, says David Davis believes the Conservatives should trigger a leadership contest if Theresa May fails to deliver a Brexit deal by Wednesday.
Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, is taking a lighthearted approach this evening.
Ambassadors from the remaining 27 EU states have also been invited to attend an update on the Brexit talks, according to reports from Brussels.
Here's a fuller report on what's been going on today in politics from our reporter Samuel Osborne:
A Politico Europe reporter is now suggesting talks between Mr Raab and Mr Barnier did not go well and a withdrawal deal is yet to be struck.
Speaking from his country residence in Kent on Sunday, foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "I think what we're reading is that we've made a lot of progress. There are still some big issues to settle. We are putting everything into trying to resolve these issues."
He said Brexit secretary Dominic Raab was taking part in "last-minute talks" to try to see if progress could be made on outstanding issues and this was a sign of "how much effort we are putting in".
Mr Hunt said he spoke with eight European counterparts about Brexit during a reception at the house in the afternoon and there was a "huge desire to resolve these issues", adding: "People want to end up with a relationship where Britain and Europe are friends and that's really what we are all working very hard to try to achieve."
Asked if it was now time for the Prime Minister to rethink her strategy, particularly involving discussions on the Irish border, Mr Hunt said: "Theresa May has been absolutely clear that she would not sign up to indefinite membership of a customs union so what we need to do is find a backstop solution that respects her commitment to be leaving the customs union but also satisfies Irish concerns that we would never return to the Troubles."
When asked for his response to comments from David Davis calling for an "open revolt" against the Prime Minister, Mr Hunt said: "I would say that's wrong and the reason that's wrong is there is no-one who is going to be able to negotiate the right deal for Britain better than Theresa May. She is battling for Britain.
"This is the crucial stage of the negotiations. We can get there, I believe we will get there. But this is the time to stand rock solid behind Theresa May, to back our Prime Minister to get the best deal for Britain."
PA
Brexit negotiators have yet to seal a deal on Britain's divorce terms, officials have said, after a flurry of meetings in Brussels on Sunday to try to secure a draft agreement before Theresa May arrives for a summit this week.
Senior EU sources said a final deal had yet to be agreed for leaders to approve this week, with some adding that the EU's timetable before Wednesday's summit would now have to shift. A meeting of EU advisers was postponed from Monday to make way for more talks.
Dominic Raab had raced to Brussels after the two sides "jointly agreed that face-to-face talks were necessary" on the "big issues still to resolve".
Michel Barnier has tweeted about the talks:
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