The top Brexit negotiator for the European Union has said he was not optimistic about avoiding a no-deal scenario before October 31.
Michel Barnier said the EU could not meet Britain’s demands that the backstop is removed from the Withdrawal Agreement.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Michel Barnier said that the backstop had to stay to protect the integrity of the EU’s single market, while ensuring an open border on the island of Ireland.
“I am not optimistic about avoiding a no-deal scenario, but we should all continue to work with determination,” Mr Barnier said, according to extracts of his article on the newspaper’s front page.
“The backstop is the maximum amount of flexibility that the EU can offer to a non-member state.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to take Britain out of the EU with or without a deal on 31 October. Opposition MPs plan to act next week to stop a hard Brexit in parliament.
Writing in the same newspaper, Mr Johnson’s de facto deputy Michael Gove said that to remove the option of a no-deal Brexit on 31 October would “diminish” the “chances of securing changes” to the Brexit deal that could get it passed through parliament.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Shadow Brexit spokesperson has said that Mr Johnson is not making any attempt to reach a Brexit deal with the EU.
Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Keir Starmer said that if a no-deal Brexit is reached by the 31 October deadline, an extension would be needed.
He did not give any timeframe for how long any proposed extension should be.
He said proposed legislation brought by opposition MPs this week was “almost certainly” the last chance to stop a no-deal Brexit.
Mr Starmer said any proposed legislation to stop a no-deal Brexit would need to be simple and straightforward aimed at making sure it was avoided, but would not give details as to what exactly would be included in the bill
He said the current situation was being forced on them by Mr Johnson, who he said had no mandate to leave without a deal.
