DUBLIN/LONDON: The British and Irish leaders on Monday discussed a possible compromise on the fraught issue of the Northern Irish border, which is holding up Brexit talks, Dublin said.
In a phone call, Prime Minister Theresa May raised the possibility of a review mechanism for the so-called backstop arrangement intended to keep open the border between British Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Varadkar indicated he would consider the idea, but rejected any suggestion Britain be allowed to unilaterally pull out of the arrangement, according to a statement issued by his office.
In their call, May “raised the possibility of a review mechanism for the backstop”, the Irish leader’s office said.
“The Taoiseach (Varadkar) indicated an openness to consider proposals for a review, provided that it was clear that the outcome of any such review could not involve a unilateral decision to end the backstop,” it said.
Brexit talks are stalled over how to avoid frontier checks on the Irish border if Britain leaves the EU’s customs union and single market as planned when it quits the bloc next March.
Both sides agree to a “backstop” or insurance arrangement to avoid checks if and until they can strike a wider trade deal that resolves the issue.
The EU wants to Northern Ireland to continue to follow its trade rules, but London is instead pressing for the whole of the UK to stay temporarily aligned.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Monday that Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab is pushing for Britain to be able to pull out of the backstop unilaterally after three months.
Varadkar told reporters in Dublin this was something his government “can’t countenance”, saying: “A backstop with a three-month limit on it or expiry date of that nature isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”
Earlier, both London and Brussels played down suggestions of an imminent breakthrough in the Brexit talks, after a weekend report in Britain suggesting a deal was close.
“I would say that we continue to make good progress in the negotiations but there’s work still to do,” May’s spokesman said in London.
In Brussels, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told reporters: “We’re not there yet.”
Human chain: Rights groups representing Britons living in Europe and EU citizens in Britain formed a human chain outside Downing Street on Monday, demanding the government guarantee their statuses in a no-deal Brexit scenario.
The protesters, who linked arms along Whitehall in the heart of London’s political district, then delivered a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May saying they were “extremely concerned” at stalled Brexit negotiations.
“No deal is not an option for EU citizens,” Nicolas Hatton, the co-founder of lobby group the3Million which represents EU nationals living in Britain, said ahead of handing the two-page letter in at Downing Street.
“We just want fairness in the way we are treated,” he said. — AFP
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