By Ben Kerrigan-
British prime minister, Theresa May has not succeeded in achieving a deal that is appealing to parliament, in another shattering blow to her efforts. Ms May had rushed off to Brussels last night in a desperate last attempt to achieve a workable deal to end the deadlock that has badly set talks back to formalise Brexit.
The consequence of the latest failure to achieve results is a likely delay to the previous deadline of March 29. A delay has always been the last outcome the British government wanted , but with unfavourable conditions still attached to Brexit, the government will have to settle for that. Theresa May has today been briefing MPs in the Commons on her “improved deal” which she insists “deserves the support” of every MP.
“If this deal does not go through tonight, then this House risks no Brexit at all,” she told MPs.
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The head of the European Parliament, President Antonia Tajani, confirmed that the European Union has refused to give further concessions to Britain after the country’s attorney declined to alter his legal advice on Prime Minister Theresa May’s revised deal.
It comes after it was concluded that the legal risk of the UK being tied to EU rules after Brexit “remains unchanged” despite changes to the PM’s deal, according to the attorney general has said. Geoffrey Cox confirmed that the new agreements reinforced the legal rights available to the UK if post-Brexit trade talks broke down due to “bad faith”.
Brexit-backing European Research Group are united against Theresa May’s deal, taking things back to its usual stalemate position. This is a blow to Mrs May’s hopes of getting it through the Commons later.
In a statement, the ERG said: “In the light of our own legal analysis and others we do not recommend accepting the government’s motion today.”
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Mr Cox said the extra assurances won by Mrs May in 11th hour talks with the EU “reduce the risk that the United Kingdom could be indefinitely and involuntarily detained” in the backstop if talks on the two sides future relationship broke down due to “bad faith” by the EU.
However he made clear that it remained a question of ”political judgement” whether a satisfactory post-Brexit deal on a permanent trading relationship can be reached. After confirming that “the legal risk remains unchanged” , he added that if no such agreement can be reached due to “intractable differences”, the UK would have “no internationally lawful means” of leaving the backstop without EU agreement.
In a statement to the Commons, Mr Cox said: “Were such a situation to occur, let me make it clear, the legal risk as I set it out in my letter of November 13 remains unchanged.”
EU Parliament President, Tajani dismissed the problems raised by the Attorney General as “an internal problem of the UK” and would not prompt the EU to reconsider the Brexit deal again. He said:
“We are very clear It is impossible to change our position,” Tajani said after he heard about the objections.
Ms May has been chasing concession from the EU on Monday to safeguard the interests of the British people and avoid the country being tied down indefinitely to the Customs Union after Brexit.
Mr Cox says there is “no lawful means of existing the backstop without an agreement simply because of intractable differences”.
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