A supposed ‘concession’ by the EU on the Irish border backstop appeared to be dead on arrival today.
There are suggestions that Brussels could offer a ‘time limit’ to show the UK will not necessarily be stuck in the arrangements forever.
The proposal would involve Northern Ireland politicians being given a vote on whether to leave the arrangements – which keep the province in the customs union and aligned to single market rules – after a number of years.
‘A landing zone on consent could be a double majority within Stormont, to leave, not to continue with arrangements after X years,’ an EU source told the Times.
However, the idea has already been shot down by the DUP, who pointed out that it would require the consent of both nationalist and unionist communities to get out of the backstop.
Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said nationalist politicians would never agree to leave the arrangements.
‘The double majority arrangement is designed to ensure we can never get out of customs union, given all the other parties are supportive of staying in the EU,’ he said.
Sinn Fein leader Michelle O’Neill also seemed to kill the proposal stone dead, saying it was ‘not plausible’ for the Northern Ireland assembly – which has not been sitting for over two years – to be given such a decision.
Ms O’Neill told Sky News: ‘The institutions are already fragile and to add this into the mix is unwelcome and will destabilise the institutions further and threaten the Good Friday Agreement. They are just not plausible.’
EU diplomats beat a hasty retreat from the suggestion this afternoon, saying it had not been discussed. ‘Unfortunately, no bold new offer is coming from the EU side at this stage,’ one said.
Negotiations appear to be on life support after Mr Johnson had a brutal clash with Angela Merkel in a telephone call yesterday.
Downing Street briefed that the German Chancellor had told the PM that Northern Ireland had to stay in the EU’s customs union and aligned to its regulations ‘forever’.
A No10 source said that made the task of getting a deal ‘impossible’, as the UK would never accept being divided.
Leo Varadkar (pictured in Dublin today) has warned that the EU will not do a deal ‘at any cost’
In Brussels today, EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker effusively greeted chief negotiator Michel Barnier (right) who is regarded as one of the biggest obstacles to a deal
Sinn Fein leader Michelle O’Neill (pictured in Belfast yesterday) said it was ‘not plausible’ for the Northern Ireland assembly – which has not been sitting for over two years – to be given the decision on whether to stay in a backstop. Boris Johnson (right) is facing huge pressure from the EU to make concessions
Anti-Brexit protesters were on the streets in Brussels today as the arguments raged
Both sides are now desperately scrambling to find a way through the impasse, but with little hope of success before a crunch summit next week.
Downing Street has been expecting a counter-offer to come out of Brussels late in the day, and have already made clear a time limit is not enough.
Mr Johnson will hold face-to-face talks with Leo Varadkar in the coming days, but the Irish PM has accused him of only pretending to make concessions, saying it would be ‘very difficult’ to get a deal soon.
Speaking in the Irish Parliament today, Mr Varadkar said the problem was the UK’s position that Northern Ireland must leave the EU customs union.
He claimed London had adopted this position whether the people of Northern Ireland ‘like it or not’.
He added: ‘That creates huge difficulties for us because we want there to be a deal that respects the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland, and indeed the people in this Republic too.’
European Council president Donald Tusk ranted at Mr Johnson on Twitter yesterday in the wake of the row with Mrs Merkel, saying he was playing a ‘stupid blame game’ and risking the safety of citizens.
Jean-Claude Juncker has warned that No Deal Brexit will ‘lead to the collapse of the United Kingdom’ as the EU heaped pressure on Mr Johnson to cave to its demands.
The commission president dismissed suggestions that the bloc will be to blame for failure to get an agreement, jibing that Britain had committed the ‘original sin’ of trying to leave.
In an interview in French newspaper Les Echos, Mr Juncker said it would be the UK’s fault if Brexit turned sour.
‘If that’s the case the explanation is actually in the British camp because the original sin is on the islands and not on the continent,’ he said.
‘A no-deal Brexit would lead to a collapse of the United Kingdom and a weakening of growth on the continent.’
Downing Street last night insisted that hopes of a deal were still alive.
‘The double majority arrangement is designed to ensure we can never get out of customs union, given all the other parties are supportive of staying in the EU,’ he said,
Mr Johnson held a ‘constructive’ 40-minute conversation with Irish premier Leo Varadkar and will meet him for further discussions in the next 48 hours, in what appears to be the last chance for securing a deal.
But ministers were gloomy, and the PM’s official spokesman said negotiations were at a ‘critical juncture’.
Government sources said Mr Johnson could even boycott next week’s crunch EU summit rather than suffer a ritual humiliation of the kind dealt out to Theresa May.
The collapse of the talks would put Mr Johnson on a collision course over whether he can keep his ‘do or die’ pledge to leave the EU by the end of this month.
No10 sources said if Brexit was delayed again by Parliament and the courts, the Tories would have ‘no choice’ but to fight an election on a No Deal ticket to prevent votes haemorrhaging to Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.
The clash with Mrs Merkel came as a major setback to Mr Johnson, who believed he had an understanding with EU leaders that they would engage positively with his compromise proposals.
The PM had hoped that Europe’s leading powerbroker would assist in breaking the deadlock, urging her to ‘help get this boat off the rocks’.
But Mrs Merkel told him he would have to settle his differences with Brussels and Ireland.
Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured in Brussels today) has dismissed claims that the EU will be to blame for failure to get an agreement, jibing that Britain had committed the ‘original sin’ of trying to leave
Downing Street accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured) of torpedoing a deal
The PM’s spokesman said the two leaders had a ‘frank exchange’ – diplomatic code for a blazing row.
Mr Johnson is said to be furious that EU leaders have simply ‘banked’ his compromises – which include keeping Northern Ireland in the single market for goods – without offering any of their own.
Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said: ‘I don’t think things have reached an impasse but there are certainly significant gaps to close.’
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson is facing a Cabinet backlash over a threat to cut security ties with EU countries that support a Brexit delay.
In an incendiary briefing, a ‘senior government source’ said that backing another extension would be seen by the PM as a ‘hostile interference in domestic politics.’
The source told the Spectator that countries supporting another delay would ‘go to the back of the queue’ for future co-operation on everything from trade to security.
Former work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd yesterday named the source as Mr Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings – a claim that was not denied by No10.
The comments sparked a backlash, with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith and Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan both protesting directly to the PM during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.
Mr Smith later went public, saying that any threat to limit security co-operation with Ireland because of its stance on Brexit would be ‘unacceptable’.
Sources said Mrs Morgan complained to Mr Johnson about the briefing, prompting him to respond: ‘You shouldn’t believe what you read. You should listen to what I say instead.’
Up to five Cabinet ministers are believed to be on ‘resignation watch’ amid fears they would walk rather than support a shift to campaign for No Deal.
Other backbench MPs could also choose to quit rather than join a push for the UK to make a clean break.
Former Cabinet minister Amber Rudd claimed maverick No10 aide Dominic Cummings (pictured in Downing Street last week) was behind the explosive briefing