Robbins and Weyand are talking again today to resolve impasse on backstop to keep open border between Northern Ireland and Republic. Sources tell me UK and EU27 still far apart on how to terminate the backstop, as and when it's not necessary. Talks still all about designing...
...a mechanism that credibly assures both sides that backstop won't last longer than each feels necessary. The lack of trust between both sides, and between different players on both sides (especially between Brexiters and Remainers in the government) makes this...
...almost impossible, even though both sides insist that in practice they want the backstop (that would keep whole of UK in customs union) to be temporary. Gulf so great that it is now inconceivable there'll be agreement in time for @theresa_may to convene...
... an emergency cabinet tomorrow. There's some small hope, though not much, that a compromise will be found to allow ministers to sign it off on Tuesday. But it looks increasingly likely that the deadline of Tuesday, that would allow the EU to convene an emergency summit...
... to approve a deal later this month, will also be missed. And that would mean the earliest the EU could approve a Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the future relationship between the UK and EU would be at the EU Council in mid December. Which would bring...
...huge problems for the PM. Because the timetable for all the parliamentary business necessary to approve the deal would be almost unbearably tight. So if, as seems likely, there is no agreement between Weyand and Robbins by Monday night, and no approval of that agreement by...
...Cabinet on Tuesday, risk of no-deal Brexit rises very very appreciably.
