Yahoo Finance Irish foreign minister downplays likelihood of ‘imminent’ Brexit breakthrough
Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney has significantly downplayed the likelihood of an “imminent breakthrough” in Brexit negotiations, despite indications that prime minister Theresa May’s cabinet may sign off on a draft of the withdrawal agreement next week.
“I would urge caution that an imminent breakthrough is not necessarily to be taken for granted, not by a long shot,” Coveney said on Thursday.
He went on: “Repeatedly, people seem to make the same mistake over and over again—assuming that if the British cabinet agrees something then that’s it then: everything is agreed.”
May’s cabinet has been invited to read a near-final draft of a proposed Brexit withdrawal agreement, but the text does not include details of the disputed proposals for the Northern Ireland backstop.
It had been reported that May may call a cabinet meeting to allow ministers to approve the full draft, including text relating to the backstop, as soon as this weekend, with a view to calling a special November summit of EU leaders.
Reuters reported on Thursday, however, that it was unlikely that such a cabinet meeting would be called before next week, citing an unnamed government source.
“This is a negotiation and needs to be an agreement—of course between the British government, but also the European Union and the 27 countries,” Coveney said, speaking to the Irish-Canada Business Association in Dublin.
“I would urge caution that people don’t get carried away on the back of rumour in the coming days.”
Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday that it was now less likely that the UK would strike a deal with the EU in November, while Ireland’s EU commissioner, Phil Hogan, said on Thursday that he thought proposals on the Irish backstop were likely to be agreed at a December EU summit.
READ MORE: Brexit deal in November becoming “less likely,” warns Varadkar
Asked earlier this week whether it was possible a deal could be struck soon, EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said that, while the clock was “ticking,” he could not give a date.
“Without this backstop there will be no deal. It is as simple as that,” Barnier warned.
“There is still a real point of divergence on the way of guaranteeing peace in Ireland, that there are no borders in Ireland, while protecting the integrity of the single market,” he said.
The atmosphere around Brexit negotiations seemed to improve momentarily earlier this week, following Varadkar’s willingness to consider a review process for the Northern Ireland backstop.
But both Coveney and Varadkar insisted that this review process would not allow the UK to unilaterally end the backstop, which is designed to prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland.
Varadkar told Irish national state broadcaster RTÉ on Thursday that “internal British politics” could not allow Ireland or the EU to soften its position on the backstop. “The ball is very much in London’s court,” he said.
“I just hope prime minister May is in a position to get any potential agreement through her cabinet and through her parliament.”
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), whose 10 lawmakers prop up May’s government in the House of Commons, warned on Tuesday that the UK was heading for a no-deal Brexit.
READ MORE: DUP: “Looks like we’re heading for no-deal Brexit”
The DUP opposes the backstop, since it would likely require Northern Ireland to be more closely aligned with the EU’s customs and trade rules than the rest of the UK.
