Macron tells Johnson backstop indispensable

Boris Johnson arrived in Paris for Brexit talks with French president Emmanuel Macron.

Macron said that while the UK’s vote to quit the EU must be respected, he added that the Ireland-Northern Ireland backstop plan was “indispensable” to preserving political stability and of the single market.

The backstop, opposed by Johnson, aims to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit

Johnson said that with “energy and creativity we can find a way forward”.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visit in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) prior to their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 22 August 2019. Johnson is in Paris after a one day visit in Berlin. EPA-EFE/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON

On Wednesday German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the onus was on the UK to find a workable plan.

UK Prime Minister Mr Johnson insists the backstop must be ditched if a no-deal exit from the EU on 31 October is to be avoided, arguing that it could leave the UK tied to the EU indefinitely.

If implemented, it would see Northern Ireland staying aligned to some rules of the EU single market, should the UK and the EU not agree a trade deal after Brexit.

 

Via The Guardian/BBC/The Independent

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