As it happenedended1539627748

Brexit news: Theresa May gives statement to MPs after Brussels talks hit deadlock

All the latest updates from Westminster

Ashley Cowburn
Political Correspondent
,Lizzy Buchan
Monday 15 October 2018 18:55 BST
Comments
Theresa May addresses House of Commons on Brexit

Theresa May's leadership and her plans for Brexit have come under intense pressure after a setback in talks with Brussels over the weekend.

A hastily arranged meeting between Brexit secretary Dominic Raab and European Union negotiator, Michel Barnier, failed to produce a breakthrough, leaving the process on a knife-edge ahead of a crunch summit on Wednesday.

Ms May was forced to come before MPs to discuss the state of the talks, as the the impasse over measures to prevent a hard border with Ireland threw the timetable for reaching a deal into major doubt.

The prime minister insisted that a deal was "still achievable" during a heated Commons statement, where she faced criticism from all sides over her approach.

Donald Tusk, the European Council president, also piled on the pressure by tweeting that a no-deal Brexit was "more likely than ever" shortly after Ms May's Commons address.

It was confirmed that the prime minister will address the 27 leaders before the European Council dinner in a last-ditch bid to win them over - though she will not be allowed into the main discussion itself.

If you want to follow the developments as they happened, see our live coverage below:

1539590946

Hello and welcome to The Independent's cover of a fresh week of Brexit turmoil!

Joe Sommerlad15 October 2018 09:09
1539591152

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab's best efforts in Brussels over the weekend failed to produce a result despite "intense efforts" to come to terms, according to the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

The question of a hard border with Northern Ireland was reportedly a particular sticking point.

Joe Sommerlad15 October 2018 09:12
1539591288

The DUP's Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson has meanwhile expressed pessimism about the situation, saying a no-deal outcome is "probably inevitable".

Joe Sommerlad15 October 2018 09:14
1539591852
Ashley Cowburn15 October 2018 09:24
1539591950
Ashley Cowburn15 October 2018 09:25
1539592053
Ashley Cowburn15 October 2018 09:27
1539593096

Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, has admitted talks were going through "a difficult period" but that there was always going to be "a moment like this".

Arriving in Brussels for a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council he said a deal was still possible if there was "goodwill on all sides" saying: "There are one or two very difficult outstanding issues but I think we can get there.

"Whether we do this week or not, who knows?"

Asked about opposition in Westminster to Theresa May's strategy by figures including David Davis, he added: "Everyone in the UK should have confidence that this prime minister, Theresa May, will never sign a deal that is not compatible with the letter and spirit of the referendum result.

"But we also firmly believe that we can find a deal on that basis that works for the European Union and our partners and friends in Europe."

Ashley Cowburn15 October 2018 09:44
1539593988

Also arriving in Brussels, Simon Coveney, the Irish foreign minister, said it was "frustrating and disappointing" that negotiators had "disengaged" but insisted that the temporary border backstop wanted by the UK was a non-starter.

He said that Dublin and the EU simply wanted Theresa May to follow through with agreements already made in March and December.

"A backstop can't be time-limited.

"That is new, it hasn't been there before. Nobody was suggesting in March that a backstop would be time-limited in terms of picking a date in the future as an endpoint for the backstop.

"The backstop will be there unless and until something else is agreed, but unless you have something to replace it well then the backstop needs to be there as an insurance mechanism.

"That is all we are asking for, that's all the Michel Barnier taskforce is also looking for now in terms of legal text."

Ashley Cowburn15 October 2018 09:59
1539594410
Ashley Cowburn15 October 2018 10:06
1539595282
Ashley Cowburn15 October 2018 10:21

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in