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Robert Peston
@Peston
, 3 tweets, 1 min read Read on Twitter
Cutting through all the noise (@riso_stephanie departure, @JunckerEU and @BorisJohnson warm words about wanting deal), it is crystal clear UK and EU are as far from agreement to replace backstop as ever. Multiple sources tell me that Johnson’s “non paper” proposals to...
keep open border on island of Ireland are seen in Brussels and EU capitals as an utter waste of time, and that Johnson is as far away as ever from what the EU regards as a possible “landing zone”. There will be one last push, one last chance, after Tory conference. But till...
then it is full steam ahead with no deal preparations on both sides.
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Robert Peston
@Peston
The Scottish National Party has come round to the idea that Jeremy Corbyn may shortly have to become temporary caretaker prime minister, in order to prevent a no-deal Brexit on 31 October and immediately afterwards hold a general election, I have learned...
A source close to the SNP leadership tells me that Ian Blackford, leader of the SNP in Westminster, and Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister, are deeply concerned that it may now be impossible to prevent a no deal Brexit unless Boris Johnson is removed from office...
One said: "It is increasingly clear that we will have to instal a new prime minister via a vote of no confidence, so that we can request a delay to Brexit and hold an election. The convention is absolutely clear that...
Read 14 tweets
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Robert Peston
@Peston
.@BorisJohnson wants a general election now. @jeremycorbyn and @NicolaSturgeon both say they want an election but not till after they are sure that the provisions of the Benn Act have been effective and the UK is NOT leaving the EU without a deal on 31 October. As far as I can...
see the only way for Johnson to break the impasse is for him to do precisely the opposite of what he has promised, namely he should request a Brexit delay from the EU - and for the explicit purpose of fighting an election to determine whether or not the British people would...
give him a mandate for a no-deal Brexit. If he fails to call the bluff of Corbyn and Sturgeon in that way, he will very likely find the decision is taken from his hands, because a growing number of MPs from all parties are coming to the view that a Brexit referendum would...
Read 8 tweets
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Robert Peston
@Peston
BREAKING: Important clarification from senior government source of what Attorney General meant when he said @BorisJohnson would abide by Benn Act, that compels him in absence of a Brexit deal to write letter to EU requesting Brexit delay. Government source: “We will ‘comply’...
“with Benn Act IF and only if it is triggered (which it may not be, if there is a deal). That is NOT the same as ‘the PM will ask for a delay’! HOW we comply with the Benn Act is the real question, and also what would be in our SECOND letter”. In other words...
Johnson still believes he can lawfully render the Benn Act nul and void, presumably by sending a second letter that would dissuade the EU from granting a delay. Lady Hale and the Supreme Court look set to be back in action before the end of October...
Read 4 tweets

Related threads

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Dave Keating
@DaveKeating
Breaking: UK asking EU to delay decision on #backstop until end of transition period in Dec 2020 - but still grant UK a deal for leaving EU on 31 October.

It's an absolute non-starter in Brussels. "It's like they haven't been listening for the last year" grumbles one EU official
The EU is insisting the UK give a concrete proposal for replacing the #backstop in next 12 days

In response, #Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the UK wants the EU to agree to put off a decision on the backstop until Dec 2020 and give the UK a deal by 31 Oct in the mean time
Barclay also said in his speech in Madrid on Thursday that the UK cannot meet the deadline for coming up with a backstop alternative.

Confusingly, this is the opposite of what Boris Johnson has been insisting - that it is completely possible to find an alternative by October.
Read 5 tweets
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Katy Hayward
@hayward_katy
PM Johnson has made the removal of the #backstop the make-or-break matter when it comes to an exit deal with the EU.

So this thing is pretty damn important.

Time for a quick recap of what the 'loathed and detested' backstop actually is?

1/14
The #backstop is there specifically to meet the UK’s commitments to avoid a hard Irish border & protect the 1998 Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement & peace process.

This isn’t just of benefit or interest to the island of Ireland.
A broken Northern Ireland means a limping UK.
2/14
How does the #backstop work?
A v.brief explanation:

Having to apply & enforce customs procedures & rules around market access makes a border ‘hard’.
(just talking trade here)

Put simply, the greater the hassle in getting goods across a border, the harder that border is.

3/14
Read 14 tweets
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David M. Herszenhorn
@herszenhorn
Amid reports that #UK PM @theresa_may hopes to renegotiate the "backstop" provision on the Northern Ireland border, let's recall that she already made clear what she wants in her letter to #EU leaders before disastrously losing the #Brexit Withdrawal Treaty ratification vote. 1/
"This could be mitigated by changes to the backstop itself," she wrote to @eucopresident & @JunckerEU "Proposals for a way in which the UK could choose to exit the backstop unilaterally were it ever to come into force, or for a hard time limit... 2/
on the duration of the usage of the backstop, have been raised and discussed in Parliament. We have also raised them previously in negotiations." So there are her proposals, i.e. the EU should basically just cave on backstop in face of House of Commons defeat. But but but ... 3/
Read 17 tweets
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David M. Herszenhorn
@herszenhorn
#EU leaders issue five paragraph statement in long-shot bid to change 100+ minds in #UK Parliament "The Union stands by this agreement and intends to proceed with its ratification. It is not open for renegotiation.
2. The European Council reiterates that it wishes to establish as close as possible a partnership
with the United Kingdom in the future. It stands ready to embark on preparations immediately
after signature of the Withdrawal Agreement to ensure that negotiations can start as
soon as
possible after the UK’s withdrawal.
3. The European Council underlines that the backstop is intended as an insurance policy to
prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland and ensure the integrity of the Single Market. It
is the Union’s firm determination to work
Read 7 tweets
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Steve Herman
@W7VOA
#UK Foreign Secretary @BorisJohnson has resigned, according to @10DowningStreet.
"His replacement will be announced shortly," @10DowningStreet spokesman says.
More on the @BorisJohnson resignation:
Read 15 tweets

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