Compromise deal on Irish border reached – The Sunday Times – Downing Street plays down claims (UPDATED)
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Sky News reports that Downing Street played down claims the PM has reached an agreement with Brussels on the Irish border.
Britain and the European Union have reportedly agreed to a compromise that would avoid a hard Irish border after Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019.
The legally binding deal would see Britain remain temporarily in the EU’s customs union, according to Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper.
The Sunday Times reports – “Theresa May’s secret plan to secure a Brexit deal and win the backing of parliament can be revealed today. Senior sources say the prime minister has secured private concessions from Brussels that will allow her to keep the whole of Britain in a customs union, avoiding a hard border in Northern Ireland. They expect this to placate remainer Tories and win over some Labour MPs. And in a move that will appeal to Eurosceptics, May is also said to be on course to secure a political deal on a “future economic partnership” (FEP) with the European Union that will allow Britain to keep open the prospect of a free trade deal resembling that enjoyed by Canada.”
Membership of the customs union would solve one of the biggest stumbling blocks in the Brexit negotiations by ensuring no border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is reportedly planning to present the compromise deal to her cabinet on Tuesday.
Her spokesman was nevertheless quoted by British broadcaster Sky News as calling the report “speculation.”
