Brexit: EU negotiator and Council chief tell Theresa May deal is not open for renegotiation
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Your support makes all the difference.The EU's chief Brexit negotiator told Theresa May time was too short to find an alternative to the Irish border arrangement agreed in their Brexit deal and said the divorce deal was not open for renegotiation.
Michel Barnier told France's RTL radio the two-year divorce negotiations had looked for an alternative to the "Irish backstop", designed to ensure the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland remains free of border posts.
"No one, on either side, was able to say what arrangement would be needed to ensure controls on goods, animals and merchandise without having a border," Mr Barnier said. "We have neither the time, nor the technologies."
After a relatively successful night for Ms May during which the government defeated a number of attempts by MPs to secure control of the Brexit process, she will now have the Herculean task of convincing EU leaders to reopen talks.
MPs approved an amendment tabled by Sir Graham Brady by 317 votes to 301 to accept Ms May’s Brexit deal as long as an alternative to the backstop could be found.
But the response from Europe was united and blunt.
"The Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation," European Council president Donald Tusk tweeted in what he said was a message to Ms May.
"Yesterday, we found out what the UK doesn't want. But we still don't know what the UK does want."
Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour MPs who defied the whip in yesterday’s votes “will be dealt with”, as he holds talks with Ms May on how the Brexit negotiations should move forward.
Mr Corbyn met with the prime minister to discuss how a conensus could be reached on the Brexit negotiations only weeks after he had rejected Ms May’s initial invitiation.
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Last night, Jon Stone, our man in Brussels, wrote about how the EU took less than 10 minutes to reject MP's demands to bin the backstop:
Asked if he thought Theresa May could secure a new deal with the EU in the next
fortnight, Mr Barclay said:
The vote was last night, the PM will be meeting with the leader of the opposition later today, there is an ongoing process... we are working hard in the national interest."
Rob Merrick, our Deputy Political Editor outlines some concerning news for Theresa May.
The EU would apparently settle for a no-deal Brexit than abandon the backstop.
Yesterday Jeremy Corbyn was criticised for not giving way to one of his own MPs, Angela Smith.
After making several attempts to intervene and failing, Michael Gove made an active effort to point her out.
She has been on Today this morning, explaining what she thinks happened.
Ms Smith told Today that she had Tory chief whip Julian Smith's note that was waved at Mr Corbyn during the incident. She said she was keeping it for "posterity".
"It actually says 'Angela wants a second referendum' and I think that is the reason why my leader potentially did not want to take my point.
My point would be that given that we have had the vote of confidence it is looking increasingly likely that the renegotiation of the deal is going to prove very difficult - Theresa May has chosen to go with the backstop and go with the ERG group rather than develop a consensus with the Commons.
On that basis I think the leader of the Labour Party needs to move to the next stage in party conference policy and adopt the People's Vote as party policy and pursue it now with all vengeance in Parliament."
The European Parliament is set to debate the state of play on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU today at around 14.30 UK time, one day after the vote in the UK‘s House of Commons.
Here is yesterday's sketch from Tom Peck - Theresa May has taken back control of Brexit - trouble is, she still has no idea what to do with it
A round up from yesterday - which amendments passed yesterday:
Andrew Grice, a political columnist for The Independent and our former Political Editor, says Theresa May is not in a position to relax:
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