Flanked by colleagues outside government buildings in Dublin on Wednesday, Varadkar said he felt he was no longer the “best man” for the job. He said he would stay as prime minister until a successor can be elected after parliament returns from recess next month.

Varadkar first became prime minister in 2017, after being elected leader of the Fine Gael party. He is the country’s youngest premier and Ireland’s first gay leader.

“I am resigning as president [of the party] and leader of Fine Gael effective today, and will resign as taoiseach [Irish prime minister] as soon as my successor is able to take up that office,” Varadkar said.

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Source: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/20/europe/leo-varadkar-ireland-prime-minister-resignation-intl/index.html

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Boris Johnson has accepted that he has until the end of the week to save his Brexit plan, it is understood.

French President Emmanuel Macron told the prime minister on Sunday that the EU will decide within days whether an agreement is possible, as it will need to be signed off by leaders at next week’s European Council summit.

Responding, a senior government source said on Monday: “Everyone understands that we need to know by the end of this week where this is heading.

“It is understood by all sides what the time pressures are.”

It came as Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok called for “more realism and clarity” from the UK after a meeting with Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay.

But Britain made clear it would refuse any demands to compromise on its customs proposals for Northern Ireland, one of the key issues standing in the way of a deal.

Under the so-called “two borders, four years” scheme put forward by Johnson, Northern Ireland would leave the European customs territory along with the rest of the UK, requiring some checks on goods leaving and entering the six counties.

When asked whether the UK would compromise and allow Northern Ireland to remain in the same customs territory as Ireland and the EU in order to get a deal, Number 10 ruled it out.

The PM’s spokesman said: “The prime minister set out in his letter on Wednesday to Jean-Claude Juncker that we believed this provided a broad landing zone and that we were willing to engage in further discussions of our proposals.

“But if your question is are we prepared for Northern Ireland to be in a different customs union territory to the United Kingdom, the answer is a very firm no.”

Johnson was continuing his round of telephone diplomacy on Monday, holding talks with the leaders of Sweden, Denmark, and Poland.

There are currently no plans for the PM to travel to Europe to meet other leaders, although face-to-face talks with Leo Varadkar may be in the offing later this week.

On a visit to Watford General Hospital, Johnson urged the EU to make concessions.

PA WIRE/PA IMAGES

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“We’ve gone a long way. We’re talking about keeping Northern Ireland in alignment with Ireland by consent, whether over agri-foods or over industrial products and standards,” the PM said.

“Now that’s a big concession by the UK. The issue is what is the EU’s objections to that? What’re their suggestions? Where are they coming from? We haven’t really heard the detail from them about what they think the problems are.

“It’s time for us to get together and really thrash this thing out. And I think we can.”

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Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/boris-johnson-accepts-emmanuel-macrons-deadline-for-a-brexit-deal_uk_5d9b275fe4b0fc935edd94f9

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The post Boris Johnson Accepts Emmanuel Macron’s Deadline For A Brexit Deal first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The prime minister said it was now “their call” whether they wanted a deal or not.

It comes as the First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said he shares “fundamentally different views on Brexit” to Mr. Johnson after the pair met this evening.

Welsh sheep farmers have previously warned of “civil unrest” in the event of no-deal.

A Welsh government spokesperson said after Mr. Johnson and Mr. Drakeford’s meeting this evening: “The first minister repeatedly warned of the catastrophic impact Brexit would have on Wales and pressed the prime minister on what support would be available for Welsh industry and agricultural sectors – no details given about new or alternative markets.

“The first minister pressed the prime minister to hold a second referendum to test the views of the people.”

Mr. Johnson had earlier visited a poultry farm near Newport where he said Wales’ farming sector would have the support it needs in the event of no-deal.

The prime minister added: “If their markets are going to be tricky, then we will help them to find new markets.

“We have interventions that are aimed to support their incomes.”

Meanwhile, Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns has suggested new global markets, including in Japan, will be available to sheep producers after Brexit.”

Helen Roberts, development officer for the National Sheep Association (NSA) in Wales called on Mr. Johnson to “stop playing Russian roulette with the industry, which he appears to be doing at the moment”.

Asked about the possibility of civil unrest, including roadblocks and tractor protests, among sheep producers, she told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “I think they will, I think it’s time to come and stand up for ourselves and be counted.”

Mr. Johnson’s declaration that it will be the EU’s fault if the UK fails to secure a Brexit deal came after he clashed with the Irish prime minister over the controversial backstop in the pair’s first discussions.

In a first phone call with Leo Varadkar since becoming UK prime minister – on his sixth day in 10 Downing Street – Mr. Johnson repeated his stance that he will only agree to a Brexit deal that “abolishes” the backstop.

But, offering no sign a Brexit breakthrough is close, Mr. Varadkar repeated the EU’s position that the UK’s withdrawal agreement cannot be renegotiated.

Inserted into the UK’s yet-to-be ratified divorce deal with the EU, the backstop is an insurance policy designed to avoid a hardening of the border on the island of Ireland, should this not be averted by the future UK-EU trade relationship.

Mr. Johnson has described the backstop as “anti-democratic” due to its provisions for the UK to remain closely aligned to the EU for an indefinite period.

He has promised to take the UK out of the EU on 31 October “do or die”, raising the prospect of a no-deal Brexit – cited as one of the factors behind recent falls in the pound.

Giving Downing Street’s account of Mr. Johnson’s call with Mr. Varadkar on Tuesday, a spokesperson said the prime minister had told his Irish counterpart that his “clear preference is to leave the EU with a deal, but it must be one that abolishes the backstop”.

Mr. Johnson was also said to have told Mr. Varadkar that the UK government “will never put physical checks or physical infrastructure” on the Irish border “in all scenarios” after Brexit.

The prime minister has previously described how “alternative arrangements” to physical border checks could provide a solution.

But Mr. Varadkar was at odds with Mr. Johnson’s view of the backstop, according to the Irish PM’s office.

A spokesperson for the Irish leader said: “The Taoiseach emphasized to the prime minister that the backstop was necessary as a consequence of decisions taken in the UK and by the UK government.”

Mr. Varadkar was also said to have explained that the “EU was united in its view that the withdrawal agreement could not be reopened”.

“Alternative arrangements could replace the backstop in the future, as envisaged in the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration on the future relationship, but thus far satisfactory options have yet to be identified and demonstrated,” the spokesperson added.

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Mr. Varadkar also invited Mr. Johnson to Dublin to continue discussions on Brexit and efforts to restore a power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland.

Downing Street’s account of the call did not reference a possible trip to Dublin, but the pair were said to have “agreed to stay in contact” while Mr. Johnson was “looking forward to visiting Northern Ireland shortly”.

Mr. Johnson later described a “very good conversation” with Mr. Varadkar during a visit to a farm in Newport, South Wales, as he repeated his message that the current Brexit deal is a non-starter.

“Parliament has thrown this thing out three times, everybody understands that deal won’t work, that withdrawal agreement won’t work,” he said.

Mr. Johnson was also expected to visit the Brecon and Radnorshire constituency in Wales, where a by-election is being held on Thursday that could see the prime minister have his House of Commons majority cut to just one.

The pound was trading a little higher at Tuesday lunchtime since recent falls.

It was back at €1.09 and $1.2171, meaning it had come off the fresh 28-month low of $1.2122 earlier in the day.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/prime-minister-boris-johnson-says-no-deal-brexit-will-be-eus-fault-11773406

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During the traditional St Patrick’s Day celebration meeting with the Taoiseach in the White House, Mr Trump reflected on Brexit and trade policies.

He confirmed he would be “coming at some point” during the year to Ireland. He had “a warm spot for Doonbeg” in Co Clare, where his golf resort is based, and Ireland was a “special place”.

Earlier, US vice president Mike Pence also confirmed he was making plans to visit Ireland. This is expected to include a visit to Sligo and Clare where his grandfather’s family lived.

Mr Trump answered a number of questions around Brexit, trade, the next US presidential election, and his immigration policies.

He said he would consider appointing a new peace envoy to the North. When asked by the Irish Examiner about this, he responded: “We may very well be doing that.”

The Taoiseach told the president the two differed on Brexit and that he wanted to speak to Mr Trump about the Good Friday Agreement among other issues.

Mr Varadkar also thanked the US president for intervening in protecting jobs in a factory in the west of Ireland and saving hundreds of positions when sanctions against Russia previously threatened the plant’s closure. He also thanked Mr Trump for US support in trying to get visas for tens of thousands of Irish people.

However, the Oval Office meeting was dominated by discussion and questions around Brexit and trade.

Mr Trump threatened to slam new “severe” economic tariffs on the EU unless it changes its trade policies with Washington.

He said he did not think the UK should have a second Brexit referendum as he criticized the handling of Britain’s negotiations.

Mr Trump said Brexit was “tearing” Britain apart.

“It’s a shame it has to be that way. I’m surprised how bad it has all gone from a standpoint of the negotiations.”

Mr Trump said the US can do a “very big trade deal” with the UK, and was already involved in talks with individual European countries.

He said the EU was “unwilling to negotiate” with the previous Obama administration, and that his prediction around the Brexit vote had been right.

“They [the EU] are willing to talk to us and if they don’t talk to us we are going to do something that is pretty severe economically, we are going to tariff a lot of their products coming in because the European Union treats us very very unfairly, I have to say that.”

Disagreeing with Mr Trump on Brexit, Mr Varadkar suggested the US president should focus his attention on trade with the EU.

“The most important thing for Ireland is that their [Brexit] decision doesn’t cause any problems for Northern Ireland, which actually voted to stay, and we shouldn’t have a hard border or anything that disrupts the peace process.

“We want to make sure we still have friction-less trade between Ireland and England. I believe in free trade and think it will be a few years before the UK sorts itself out. But in the meantime, the EU is available to talk trade with the US.”

Source: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/–911082.html

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EU leaders delivered a devastating knockback to Theresa May after she appealed to them to hold “nothing in reserve” and work with her to salvage her Brexit deal by putting a 12-month limit on the unpopular Irish backstop.

The embattled prime minister had pinned her hopes on a last-ditch effort to persuade the European Union to work with her in devising a legal guarantee, known as a “joint interpretative instrument”, that she believes could get her Brexit deal through parliament.

The idea of the EU having the target of terminating the Northern Ireland backstop no more than a year after it was put in force had been supported by Germany’s Angela Merkel and Austria’s Sebastian Kurz.

But it was opposed by Ireland, France, Sweden, Spain and Belgium, who voiced doubts that the prime minister would be able to sell the technical concession to hostile MPs in Westminster.

Following an address by May before a dinner, and subsequent discussions among the 27 member states, the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, suggested it was difficult to imagine any deal getting through parliament at the moment, and that it was not up to the EU to satisfy the demands of rebellious MPs.

Juncker said: “Our UK friends need to say what they want, rather than asking what we want. We would like in a few weeks for our UK friends to set out their expectations because this debate is sometimes nebulous and imprecise and I would like clarifications.”

Deliberately avoiding the confrontational approach demanded by her hard Brexit critics, May had appealed to her EU counterparts to work with her in revising the Brexit deal. “We must get this right,” she said. “Let’s hold nothing in reserve, let’s work intensively to get this over the line.”

The prime minister told the summit that “we have to change the perception that the backstop is a trap” – clearly signalling that it had to be time-limited – and insisted that with revisions her deal was “the only deal capable of getting through parliament” to bring EU leaders on side.

But Juncker said that he could not understand the mindset of British MPs, and indicated an unwillingness to bend to the Commons, setting up a nervous few weeks for Downing Street.

He said: “I am still of the opinion that Mrs May is fighting hard and bravely but we have not seen results.”

Some EU sources said there would be no further “reassurances” for the UK other than the short statement agreed over dinner on Thursday in Brussels, dashing hopes of more complicated legal wheezes, such as treaties deposited at the UN.

“This is it, as I understand it,” said an EU source, pointing out the European summit conclusions were binding on members. A second EU diplomat said the “door was still open”, but complained that May had not explained what she was seeking in enough detail in her address to the leaders.

May had billed her appeal as the last opportunity to save her unpopular deal and get it through parliament in time for the 29 March deadline, although it was unclear that the move would persuade a sceptical Democratic Unionist party and hard Brexit Conservatives that the UK cannot be stuck in the backstop.

The prime minister still hopes to begin a short, intense period of final negotiations with EU officials following the Brussels summit, leading to an additional guarantee that No 10 insists must have legal weight.

But a final version of the summit communique published by the EU leaders late on Thursday was less generous to May than earlier drafts.

Irish objections led the removal of a phrase that the EU “stands ready to examine whether any further assurance can be provided” on the backstop. Wording that the the backstop would not be “a desirable outcome” was also cut from the text.

The UK had hoped to set a year as a target for getting out of the backstop by negotiating a free trade deal or an alternative arrangement for avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland. It is still hoped that further talks can run on through Christmas on such a document.

With little prospect of a quick breakthrough though Downing Street conceded that the delayed meaningful vote on what is likely to be a revised Brexit deal would not take place until the new year. It would go ahead “as soon as possible in January” having previously said it would take place before 21 January.

May’s reputation rests on resolving the impasse, after an intensely difficult week, in which she was forced to pull the vote on the original Brexit deal on Tuesday because she had no chance of getting it through the House of Commons.

That prompted hostile Conservative MPs to table a motion of no confidence in her as party leadership, which she saw off on Wednesday by 200 to 117.

In Brussels on Thursday, May was forced to publicly repeat a promise she had made to Conservative MPs, when pleading for her job before the party’s 1922 Committee the day before, that she would not lead the party into the next general election.

The prime minister acknowledged that she “would love to be able to lead the Conservative party into the next general election”, which she said would be as scheduled in 2022, but conceded “I think it is right that the party feels it would prefer to go into that election with a new leader.”

In Brussels, a bilateral meeting between May and Leo Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach, underscored the diplomatic difficulties ahead of May. Varadkar said his British counterpart had made a range of suggestions to break the deadlock, some of which “made sense, others I thought were difficult”.

A backstop is deemed necessary by the EU to ensure that there will be no return to a hard border in Ireland in the event that the UK and the EU cannot sign a long-term free trade deal. If it comes into force, the UK would remain in a customs union with the EU.

José Manuel Barroso(@JMDBarroso)

In the future there will be no relation more important for the #uk than the one with the #EU . And for the #eu also there will be no third country more important than the #uk. It’s crucial to avoid resentment in the way the withdrawal is made. I hope the #eucouncil understands it

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/dec/13/may-urges-eu-leaders-to-work-with-her-to-salvage-brexit-deal

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