UK PM says EU is willing to avoid no-deal Brexit
British Prime Minister Theresa May has said after a crucial meeting with top European Union officials that the EU is interested to find a solution to the current political stalemate on UK’s withdrawal from the bloc.
May said on Thursday after meeting with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council President Donald Tusk that London and the EU had agreed to start a series of talks to ensure that Britain will leave the bloc at the end of March in an orderly manner and with a deal in hand.
“What I see and hear from leaders is a desire for us to work together to ensure that we can deliver the UK leaving the European Union with a deal,” May said in Brussels, adding, “It is not going to be easy but crucially President Juncker and I have agreed that talks will now start to find a way through this, to find a way to get this over the line and to deliver on the concerns that (British) parliament has so we get a majority in parliament.”
Meeting PM @theresa_may on how to overcome impasse on #brexit. Still no breakthrough in sight. Talks will continue. pic.twitter.com/vn2CVybc1j
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) February 7, 2019
The meeting comes more than a week after British lawmakers allowed May to try to gain concessions from the EU on a controversial clause in her draft Brexit deal that sets out rules on future of the Irish border. The House of Commons had rejected the deal on January 15 mainly out of concerns that the so-called Irish backstop would allow the EU to treat Northern Ireland differently than the rest of the UK two years after Brexit.
EU leaders had indicated that there was no chance to compromise on the backstop, saying that could endanger the security of member the Republic of Ireland.
However, EU’s refusal to renegotiate the Brexit deal would mean a no-deal exit for Britain on March 29, a scenario that experts believe could have serious economic implications for the country and the EU.
May also said Thursday that she was determined to implement Brexit on time, rejecting calls mainly from the opposition to extend membership for several months so that parliament could reach a consensus on the issue.
“I am clear that I am going to deliver Brexit, I am going to deliver it on time, that is what I am going to do for the British public,” said the British premier, adding, “I will be negotiating hard in the coming days to do just that.”
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