EU ‘open but unconvinced’ by Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan

The European Union is “open but not convinced” by the UK PM’s new proposals for a Brexit deal with the EU, the president of the European Council says.

Donald Tusk was among several leading EU voices to express doubt over Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement plan.

The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has told European diplomats he still has plenty of questions about the British proposal to replace the backstop – the measure designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit.

UK PM Boris Johnson’s Europe adviser, David Frost, is to hold another round of talks in Brussels in a bid to break the Brexit deadlock.

The plan would keep Northern Ireland in the EU single market for goods but see it leave the customs union.

But what happens to the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland remains a central sticking point.

Irish PM Leo Varadkar said the new plans for the withdrawal agreement were welcome, but “fall short in a number of aspects”.

Via BBC