EU and UK reach new Brexit deal, backstop removed UPDATED
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A Brexit deal has been agreed between UK and EU negotiating teams before a meeting of European leaders in Brussels.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: “We’ve got a great new deal that takes back control.”
The two sides have been working on the legal text of a deal, but it will still need the approval of both the UK and European parliaments.
We’ve got a great new deal that takes back control — now Parliament should get Brexit done on Saturday so we can move on to other priorities like the cost of living, the NHS, violent crime and our environment #GetBrexitDone#TakeBackControl
The DUP has cast doubt on its sign off, saying they still cannot support it.
The Northern Irish party earlier released a statement saying they could not back proposals “as things stand”, and – after the PM’s announcement – said their statement “still stands”.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that the agreement reached was a “fair and balanced agreement”.
🇪🇺🤝🇬🇧 Where there is a will, there is a #deal – we have one! It’s a fair and balanced agreement for the EU and the UK and it is testament to our commitment to find solutions. I recommend that #EUCO endorses this deal. pic.twitter.com/7AfKyCZ6k9
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said later that the Irish border backstop is gone from the new Brexit deal.
He says: “This new approach which has nothing to do with the backstop, that’s been abandoned.”
What are the main differences?
ITV reports “Crucially, Boris Johnson has scrapped the controversial Northern Irish Backstop that many argued tied the UK to the EU indefinitely.
Under the new deal, Northern Ireland will be in the UK customs territory ‘forever’ and will benefit from any free trade deals the UK strikes.
However there will be a ‘special arrangement’ for Northern Ireland, ‘reflecting the unique circumstances there’.
There will be no hard border between the two Irelands, as Northern Ireland will have access to the single market while being part of the UK customs territory.
This will be underpinned by the principle of ‘democratic consent’, and Northern Ireland will have the ability to leave the arrangement through a vote in the NI Assembly.”
