World News With Theresa May And EU Negotiations
European Union leaders have said the Brexit withdrawal agreement is “not open for renegotiation,” despite appeals from Theresa May. She wanted legal assurances on the Irish backstop to help her deal get through Parliament after she delayed a Commons vote in anticipation of defeat.
The PM said the deal was “at risk” if MPs’ concerns could not be addressed. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said there could be clarifications but no renegotiation.
He urged the UK to set out more clearly what it wants, adding that the commission will publish information on 19 December on its preparations for a no-deal Brexit. May traveled to Brussels to make a special plea to EU leaders at Thursday’s summit, but BBC Brussels reporter Adam Fleming said some diplomats described her performance as “bad” and “vague”.
He added that a diplomatic note about proceedings, seen by the BBC, said May was “not really clear.” Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said May had failed to get meaningful changes and she should reinstate the vote on her deal next week.
The PM’s visit came at the end of a week that has seen her first delay the vote on the withdrawal agreement in Parliament, then win a vote of no confidence brought by MPs unhappy with it. She vowed to listen to the concerns of the 37% of Tory MPs who voted against her and was hoping to “assuage” their concerns about the controversial “backstop” plan in the agreement.
Critics say the backstop – aimed at preventing a hard border in Northern Ireland – would keep the UK tied to EU rules indefinitely and curb its ability to strike trade deals. Conservative MPs demanded changes to the backstop to make it clear that it could not last forever, and the UK could terminate the arrangement on its own.
At the summit, May was seeking legal assurances that the backstop, if used, would be temporary.
sandbox-nm01
-
Plans for Neom’s ambitious “The Line,” a zero-carbon city in Saudi Arabia, have been revised, scaling back its initial...
-
President Joe Biden’s reelection strategy takes a surprising turn as the Rust Belt, not the Sun Belt, emerges as...
-
In a significant escalation of the ongoing dispute over misinformation, Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has initiated...
-
In a significant legal development, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has declined former President Donald Trump’s request to dismiss...
-
Mumbai Takes the Throne for the Most Billionaires in Asia In a historic milestone, Mumbai has overtaken Beijing to...
-
Sylvia Gonzalez, a newly elected city council member in a small Texas community, was embroiled in controversy when she...
-
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need for Western powers to remain vigilant in the face of the Ukraine...
-
Is TikTok Getting Banned in the States? The United States House of Representatives has voted with bipartisan support to...
-
The 2024 Election Race Continues Between Joe Biden and Donald Trump With the 2024 general election drawing closer, President...
-
The Philippines has strongly denounced what it described as “unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvers” by China in...
-
The Biden Administration’s Request for a New Texas Immigration Law Blocked The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the enforcement...
-
As Moscow Prepares to Bid Adieu, Navalny’s Funeral Raises Uncertainties and International Allegations The spokesperson for Alexei Navalny has...