Brexit: Theresa May secures Cabinet support for draft deal
November 14, 2018
British Prime Minister May said her Cabinet ministers agreed to a draft deal on the UK's exit from the European Union. But she could face the ultimate test as junior coalition partners hint at fresh elections.
Image: Reuters/T. Melville
Advertisement
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday secured support for a draft Brexit agreement from her Cabinet after a marathon five-hour meeting.
The British Cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss the draft agreement, while in Brussels, ambassadors from the other 27 EU countries gathered to examine the proposal.
Key developments:
The British Cabinet has backed the draft deal negotiated between May and the EU.
Ahead of the Cabinet meeting, May told lawmakers that the draft deal delivers the Brexit that Britons voted for.
The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, struck a cautious note when he said the deal was making "decisive progress" but that it still required "lots and lots of work."
Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, which props up Theresa May's government in a confidence and supply arrangement, threatened to withdraw support over the deal.
All updates noted in Central European Time (CET).
01:00 We are wrapping up our coverage. May won the support of her divided cabinet over for the draft Brexit deal, but could face even tougher resistance when she takes deal to parliament next month for approval.
21:50 German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas welcomed the draft Brexit agreement, but said Germany still regrets Britain's decision to leave the EU.
"This is a great relief. After months of uncertainty we now finally have a clear signal from Britain," Maas said in a statement. "Britain's decision to leave the EU is and always will be a decision we regret. Nevertheless, we want to continue having a close relationship with our British friends," he added.
21:34 Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the draft divorce agreement was bad for the Scottish economy, adding that parliamentary approval would be difficult to win.
"It is obvious that (May) can barely unite her cabinet on this deal, and it is also increasingly clear that she will struggle to get a majority for it in parliament," she said. "If this deal is indeed rejected by parliament then the UK government must return to the negotiating table to secure a better one."
21:20 The European Parliament welcomed progress on the Brexit deal.
"It is encouraging to see that we are moving towards a fair deal that should ensure an orderly withdrawal, including a backstop guaranteeing that there will be no hardening of the Northern Irish/Irish border," the EU legislature's Brexit steering group said in a statement.
21:10EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told reporters in Brussels that the draft deal was a decisive step toward concluding Brexit talks.
21:06 European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he has recommended that the EU call a summit to finalize the draft deal.
21:04 European Council President Donald Tusk will meet Barnier at 0750 CET on Thursday, a statement said. Tusk is responsible for deciding when to hold a summit to sign the agreement.
20:24May won the backing of her Cabinet colleagues for the draft EU divorce deal. She did not say whether the deal received unanimous support from the Cabinet.
"The collective decision of cabinet was that the government should agree the draft withdrawal agreement and the outline political declaration," May said outside her Downing Street residence."This is a decisive step which allows us to move on and finalize the deal in the days ahead."
19:20 Brexit supporters in May's party will "likely" call for a vote of no confidence in her as their leader on Thursday, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said, citing a senior member of the Conservative Party.
19:10 A meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels ended without any news from London on whether May had convinced her cabinet to back the draft deal.
"Everything is very fragile. Let's remember where we were a few weeks ago when we thought we had a deal and we all know what happened," one diplomat told reporters. "We are still waiting for signals from London. Waiting for the green light. The time schedule is still very tight for EU summit. We need consent from UK on deal," he said.
16:30 A no-deal Brexit would cost Britain about 6 percent of GDP — roughly four years of economic growth — compared with staying in the bloc, the International Monetary Fund said.
14:40 Pro and anti-Brexit demonstrators assembled in Westminster ahead of the crucial cabinet meeting.
Image: Reuters/K. Coombs
Image: Reuters/H. Nicholls
14:38 German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier tweeted, warning about the negative consequences of Brexit for both the EU and Britain.
14:16 French President Emmanuel Macron considers the draft deal as an "encouraging sign" but remains cautious as the text still needs to be examined in detail, said government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux.
14:00 Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said EU leaders could meet on November 25 to discuss the Brexit deal if May's Cabinet approves the draft document.
13:58 Prime Minister Questions is over. The speaker of Britain's parliament, John Bercow, said May is likely to make a statement on Brexit to MPs on Thursday.
13:18 Conservative MP Peter Bone said if the draft deal reported in media is any sign of the accord May has secured with EU negotiators, then she is "not delivering the Brexit people voted for."
13:10 While fielding questions at the British parliament, May said she is aware of concerns that the EU would like to keep the UK in its customs union under her draft deal.
"There's a need to have a backstop as an insurance policy," May said. "Any backstop has to be temporary."
12:39 The draft deal effectively delays a decision on the Irish border until July 2020 if EU and British negotiators do not hammer out a deal beforehand, Reuters news agency reported, citing EU sources.
12:21 Margaritis Schinas, the European Commission's chief spokesman, said EU ambassadors will not be briefed about the draft deal by the bloc's top negotiators, Michel Barnier. Schinas has declined to comment on details about the draft, but some more updates are likely in the coming hours, if not days.
12:10 The draft deal looks like it will keep the UK in the EU customs union with special rules for Northern Ireland, according to DW's correspondent Nicole Ris.
11:31 The view from the EU: "In Brussels, all eyes are on London," according to DW's senior European correspondent Bernd Riegert. "There is some optimism that this deal can be done if London agrees."
11:11Scottish National Party's (SNP) Westminster leader Ian Blackford insisted that Scotland should have the same right to stay in the EU single market if Northern Ireland is allowed to remain in under May's draft deal.
"If it is permissible for Northern Ireland to stay in the single market as part of the backstop, then of course Scotland should be given the same opportunity," said Blackford told BBC Radio Scotland.
Who's who in Brexit?
Britain is leaving the European Union, but who exactly is directing the drama? DW takes a look at the people involved in the messy divorce.
Image: picture-alliance
Britain's embattled skipper: Theresa May
May became prime minister after David Cameron resigned from the post in the wake of the Brexit referendum vote in June 2016. Despite her position, she has struggled to define what kind of Brexit her government wants. Hardliners within her Conservative party want her to push for a clean break. Others want Britain to stay close to the bloc. The EU itself has rejected many of May's Brexit demands.
The leader of the British Labour Party has no formal role in the Brexit talks, but he is influential as the head of the main opposition party. Labour has tried to pressure the Conservative government, which has a thin majority in Parliament, to seek a "softer" Brexit. But Corbyn's own advocacy has been lukewarm. The long-time leftist voted for the UK to leave the European Community (EC) in 1975.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/A. Chown
Britain's boisterous Brexiteer: Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson's turbulent two years as UK foreign secretary came to an abrupt end with his resignation on July 9. The conservative had been a key face for the Leave campaign during the 2016 referendum campaign. Johnson disapproves of the "soft Brexit" sought by PM May, arguing that a complete break from the EU might be preferable. He became the second Cabinet member within 24 hours to quit...
Image: picture alliance/AP Images/M. Turner
Britain's cheery ex-delegate: David Davis
David Davis headed Britain's Department for Exiting the EU and was the country's chief negotiator in the talks before he quit on July 8, less than 24 hours before Downing Street announced Boris Johnson's departure. Davis had long opposed Britain's EU membership and was picked for the role for this reason. Davis was involved in several negotiating rounds with his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/V: Mayo
Britain's former Brexit secretary: Dominic Raab
Raab replaced Davis in early July 2018. But he only lasted four months, resigning a day after Theresa May presented a draft withdrawal plan to her cabinet. Raab previously worked for a Palestinian negotiator in the Oslo peace process and as an international lawyer in Brussels advising on European Union and World Trade Organization law.
Jeremy Hunt was Britain's Health Secretary until he replaced Boris Johnson as foreign secretary in early July 2018. The 51-year-old supported Britain remaining in the European Union during the 2016 referendum, but said in late 2017 that he had changed his mind in response to the "the arrogance of the EU Commission" during Brexit talks. He has vowed to help get Britain a "great Brexit deal."
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
Britain's firebrand: Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage was the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) until July 2016. Under his stewardship, the party helped pressure former Prime Minister David Cameron into calling the EU referendum. He was also a prominent activist in the Leave campaign in the lead-up to the vote. Farage still has some influence over Brexit talks due to his popularity with pro-Leave voters.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/F. Florin
Brexit's banker: Arron Banks
Businessman Arron Banks is a friend of Nigel Farage, and donated a significant sum to the former UKIP leader's Leave.EU campaign – making him the group's biggest financial backer. He had several meetings with Russian officials ahead of the referendum, but has denied allegations of collusion with Moscow in the Brexit vote, branding the claims a "political witch hunt."
Image: Getty Images/J. Taylor
Europe's honchos: Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk
EU Commission President Juncker (left) and EU Council President Tusk (right) share two of the bloc's highest posts. Juncker heads the EU's executive. Tusk represents the governments of the 27 EU countries — the "EU 27." Both help formulate the EU's position in Brexit negotiations. What Tusk says is particularly noteworthy: His EU 27 masters — not the EU commission — must agree to any Brexit deal.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Vanden
Europe's steely diplomat: Michel Barnier
The former French foreign minister and European commissioner has become a household name across the EU since his appointment as the bloc's chief Brexit negotiator in October 2016. Despite his prominence, Barnier has limited room to maneuver. He is tasked with following the EU 27's strict guidelines and must regularly report back to them during the negotiations.
Image: Reuters/Y. Herman
Ireland's uneasy watchman: Leo Varadkar
The Irish PM has been one of the most important EU 27 leaders in Brexit talks. Britain has said it will leave the EU's customs union and single market. That could force the Republic of Ireland, an EU member, to put up customs checks along the border with Northern Ireland, a British province. But Varadkar's government has repeatedly said the return of a "hard" border is unacceptable.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/B. Lawless/PA Wire
Europe's power-brokers: the EU 27
The leaders of the EU 27 governments have primarily set the EU's negotiating position. They have agreed to the negotiating guidelines for chief negotiator Barnier and have helped craft the common EU position for Tusk and Juncker to stick to. The individual EU 27 governments can also influence the shape of any Brexit outcome because they must unanimously agree to a final deal.
10:45 Hard Brexiteers — those who back severing all EU responsibilities — have pressured May's Cabinet and parliament to outright reject her draft deal. Former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, who is a member of May's Conservatives, said her deal would make the UK a "vassal state."
10:24 The Irish border has been one of the hardest parts to negotiate for a Brexit deal. Businesses on both sides of the border fear the prospect of barriers blocking goods, services and transit. DW went to the border region to examine the situation. Read the gripping story here: Brexit causing concern for business on both sides of the Irish border
The Irish border is the final sticking point in the EU-UK Brexit negotiation, with the future of the frontier far from certain. That is causing worry for businesses north and south, as Arthur Sullivan found out.
10:11 Earlier Wednesday, Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), a junior coalition partner in May's government, threatened to undermine the deal, which could spell fresh elections at a crucial moment for negotiations.
"It's a question of whether we are separating the union, whether we are dealing with the United Kingdom in a way that leaves us adrift in the future and as the leader of unionism in Northern Ireland, I'm not about to agree to that," DUP leader Arlene Foster told Sky News.
10:00 Welcome to DW's rolling coverage of high-stakes Brexit meetings in London and Brussels. The day could spell trouble for British Prime Minister Theresa May's government as she faces pressure from within and outside of her party to change the terms of her draft deal.
The 499-kilometer Irish border wasn't originally intended to be an international frontier. Since the Republic of Ireland was created, the situation at the border has mirrored the changing nature of Anglo-Irish relations.
Image: imago/UIG
The Irish Free State
Britain's response to Irish demands for independence was devolution within the UK, or home rule. Pro-British Unionists didn't want to be governed by Dublin, so two parliaments were set up, for Northern and Southern Ireland. However, nationalists still pushed for full independence and in 1922 Southern Ireland was superseded by the Irish Free State as enshrined in the Anglo-Irish Treaty (pictured).
Image: Getty Images/Topical Press Agency
The Six Counties
Northern Ireland had been carved in a way that allowed Protestant loyalists to stay in control, but also ensure the region was large enough to be viable. It included four majority-Protestant counties in the ancient province of Ulster, as well as the two Catholic nationalist counties. Three of Ulster's counties — Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan — were placed on the Southern Ireland side of the border.
No laughing matter?
Involving members of the British, Irish and devolved Belfast governments, a 1924-25 boundary commission looked at the whether the border should stay where it was. It broadly remained in the same place, often cutting through communities across its 310 miles. The Spike Milligan novel "Puckoon," made into a film (above), charted the problems brought to a fictional Irish village divided by the border.
The new border's checkpoints initially regulated the movement of certain goods, with movement of people being free. However, the Anglo-Irish Trade War of the 1930s saw tariffs imposed on foods and later coal and steel. The dispute ended in 1936, but Ireland still pursued protectionist policies into the 1950s. Customs stayed in place until the advent of the EU Single Market in 1993.
Image: picture alliance/AP Images/S. Smart
Bloody legacy
With an escalation in fighting in Northern Ireland in 1969, British troops were sent to the province, fueling nationalist resentment. The border was heavily guarded to stop weapons smuggling from the Republic. The South Armagh stretch was particularly notorious. The Irish Republican Army's South Armagh Brigade is thought to have killed about 165 British troops and police from 1970 to 1997.
Image: picture alliance/empics/PA
South of the Border
The border was also policed by the Republic of Ireland's security forces, who intensified their anti-terror efforts in the late 1970s. They worked with the British, but the working relationship was not an easy one. To communicate with Irish counterparts, British troops at one time had to speak to the Northern Irish police, who would contact the Irish police, who would then call the Irish army.
Image: picture alliance/empics/PA
Watchtowers and rifle sights
Despite the end of customs in 1993, the threat of terror still loomed and the border remained militarized, with watchtowers and soldiers. After the 1998 Good Friday Agreement — which brought back devolved government to Northern Ireland and sought to address issues such as policing and paramilitarism — the IRA eventually halted its campaign of violence as border security disappeared.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. McErlane
Barely noticeable
The border today remains as invisible as it has ever been, with free movement of traffic between the Republic and the North. The picture shows two policemen, one British, one Irish, watching as a foreign leg of the Giro d'Italia crosses the border in Armagh.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/P. McErlane
Anything to declare?
There were fears that Brexit would make a hard border necessary, given that Britain has left both the EU Customs Union and Single Market. The border issue was one of three conditions laid out by the EU for talks on future trade after the separation. Campaigners, like those pictured above, had sought to remind the public of what a hard border would look like.
Image: picture alliance/empics/N. Carson/PA Wire
Border in the Irish Sea
Customs officials check freight trucks as they disembark from a ferry at the Northern Irish port of Larne. The inspections effectively created a customs border in the Irish Sea, avoiding the need for checks on land. The arrangement has led to supply problems for some businesses. However, it has been touted as good for Northern Ireland, giving firms there free access to both the UK and EU markets.
