Weakened UK PM in Brussels to seek EU help on Brexit deal
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May has traveled to Brussels to attend a European Union summit as she desperately seeks privileges from the bloc that could enhance her chances of going through the British parliament with a controversial EU withdrawal agreement.
May said on Thursday, however, that she did not expect to secure a quick breakthrough in Brexit talks with the EU.
“I don’t expect an immediate breakthrough, but what I do hope is that we can start work as quickly as possible on the assurances that are necessary,” said May, adding that she would put to the European counterparts the huge concerns of British lawmakers about how Brexit will work.
EU leaders reiterated their position that they will stand by the Brexit agreement they signed with May last month, saying there was no chance for legal changes to the deal.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the EU was ready to give May assurances about the thorny issue of how the bloc will deal with the Irish border after Brexit.
“We can of course talk about whether there are additional assurances but in this the 27 EU members are together and will make their interests clear,” said Merkel.
In a statement to the British parliament on Monday, May postponed a planned vote on her Brexit deal, saying she would try to assuage concerns about the so-called backstop clause in the agreement which her opponents believe would enable the EU to include the UK in its customs union indefinitely if the two sides fails to agree on a comprehensive trade mechanism two years after Brexit.
Reports on Thursday showed that May had no intention of submitting the Brexit deal to the parliament before Christmas, meaning that the House of Commons would have only a couple of weeks before a January-21 deadline to give its final opinion on the agreement.
Britain is expected to leave the EU on March 29, 2019.
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