LONDON: Boris Johnson has acknowledged that “outstanding issues” to get a Brexit deal remain on the final day before a crucial EU summit, but said there was still a “chance” of success.
Officials on both sides of the Channel said on Wednesday that numerous obstacles still needed to be surmounted for a fresh agreement to be brokered.The Prime Minister needs to get a deal approved at the summit of EU leaders starting in Brussels on Thursday if he is to avoid an almighty clash over asking for a delay to the UK’s departure. His official spokesman said the Prime Minister had on Wednesday afternoon updated his Cabinet, which gave its “full support” to get a deal ahead of the summit after a “positive discussion”.
“He said there was a chance of securing a good deal but we are not there yet and there remain outstanding issues,” the spokesman added. During a brief address to the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, Johnson compared the situation to climbing Mount Everest, according to MPs who attended.
Referring to the Prime Minister, leading Brexiteer Mark Francois said: “He said ‘we are not quite at the summit, we are at the Hillary Step’. “’The summit is not far but at the moment there is still cloud around the summit’.”
Francois added: “The other thing he said was if we cannot achieve a deal despite the best efforts of the United Kingdom, we will still leave the European Union at Halloween. He was absolutely crystal clear about that.”
The reported comments appeared at odds with remarks earlier in the day by Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay, who confirmed that Johnson will write a letter asking for an Article 50 extension if no deal is in place by Saturday, something the Prime Minister has repeatedly ruled out.
Arch-Brexiteer Steve Baker said he would need to see the legal text of a deal before any vote on it. He said: “If I am not shown the legal text I shall vote no because I haven’t read it.” Talks in Brussels resumed on Wednesday morning after running into the early hours. After a briefing by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, EU commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said: “Talks have been constructive but there still remains a number of significant issues to resolve.”
European Council president Donald Tusk reportedly told Poland’s TVN 24 news channel that “everything should be clear” by midnight. DUP leader Arlene Foster quickly moved to reject a suggestion that her party had accepted the latest proposal on consent. She tweeted: “Discussions continue. Needs to be a sensible deal which unionists and nationalists can support.”
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was “confident” a deal could be struck by the current deadline and raised the prospect of another EU summit being held in the coming weeks. But he warned there were still numerous hurdles in the way, after speaking with Johnson and the European Commission on Wednesday morning.