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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The Federation of German Industries (BD) has warned against politicians playing with valuable time ahead of the UK's planned departure from the European Union.
"The British government must take seriously the rejection of a no-deal Brexit by the British Parliament," BDI managing director Joachim Lang said in a statement.
Sterling fell as MPs voted down Brexit amendments aimed at stopping no-deal - have a read of our report:
Just a reminder, Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn will be going head to head today at PMQs in a little over 20 minutes.
They are set to meet later to talk through the Brexit negotiations.
The deputy head of the European Commission has said the European Union needs Britain to clarify its next steps on Brexit.
"We continue to urge the UK government to clarify its intentions with respect to its next steps as soon as possible," Frans Timmermans told a news conference
The European Parliament's chief Brexit official, Guy Verhofstadt, has hit out at the UK Parliament's handling of the process.
He said:
What needs to stop is this: an amendment with 10 votes for, then an amendment with 10 votes against, an amendment that barely pulls through, one that fails.
That is no way to build a future relationship with the EU."
Not exactly a full crowd at PMQs today - plenty of green leather visible in the chamber today.
Jeremy Corbyn kicks off his questioning by asking Theresa May to set out what the alternative arrangements for the backstop will be.
Theresa May responds by listing number of proposals that are currently being looked at.
To laughter in the Commons Mr Corbyn says "none of that was clear to me".
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