MEP and chair of European Parliament Brexit Steering Committee @guyverhofstadt tells me Parliament is ‘very sceptical’ of Boris Johnson’s proposals. Says ‘not a serious alternative’ to backstop but rather a ‘repackaging of old proposals’ /1
Mr Verhofstadt describes PM offer as neither realistic nor viable. He said the EU questioned whether Boris Johnson really was serious about striking a deal, esp he said after hearing reports of alleged no10 memo instructing Tory MPs to blame EU if no new deal agreed /2
The European Parliament is poised to publish their main objections to the proposals. As you hear across EU now, the central concern is customs. @guyverhofstadt says current UK proposal would endanger NI peace process and ‘dramatically’ expose risk to single market of smuggling /3
‘What of Juncker talk of positive elements of proposals; Barnier’s mention of progress?’ I ask. @guyverhofstadt says area UK has most progressed in addressing EU concerns is alignment on goods regulations BUT at same time the PMsproposals give NIreland power-sharing gov a veto /4
Not only time-limiting regulatory alignment but meaning Stormont can refuse consent to initiate regulatory alignment in first place. Which is why many in EU question whether the regulatory alignment section of proposal is the ‘big concession’ the Johnson gov claim it to be /5
Mr Verhofstadt concluded the PMs proposals were ‘absolutely not an alternative to the backstop’. He said it was ‘in the hands of Mr Johnson’ whether/not a new Brexit deal could be struck. If PM presents ‘serious proposals’ says @guyverhofstadt then a new agreement could be made/6
What concessions would the EU offer? I asked. According to @guyverhofstadt ‘The responsibility lies in London not Brussels.’ He said the EU had already reached a compromise with UK negotiators - called the backstop /7
Mr Verhofstadt was scathing too about UK’s repeated insistence on use of technologies to avoid customs imposition on island of Ireland. “They’ve been talking about this for years,” he said “But we’ve never seen it” /8
NB The European Parliament like the UK Parliament have a veto on the Brexit deal BUT if negotiations with Johnson’s gov were to make serious progress (...IF) then the European commission and EU member states would be careful - as they have been till now- to bring EP with them /9
