UK Prime Minister Says Talks With EU on Brexit Backstop to Continue in Coming Days
UK Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday she would continue holding talks with EU leaders on a backstop for Northern Ireland in the next few days ahead of the UK House of Commons' vote on the Brexit agreement.
"The conclusions of the December European Council went further than before in seeking to address the concerns of this House and they have legal status. I've been in contact with European leaders since then about [members of parliament] MPs' concerns ... and those talks will continue over the next few days," May told the House of Commons.
The prime minister added that the government was looking into additional measures that could be implemented domestically to protect the interests of people and businesses of Northern Ireland.
"We've also been looking at how parliament can take a greater role as we take these negotiations on to the next stage. And so I can tell the House that in the event that our future relationship or alternative arrangements are not ready by the end of 2020, parliament will have a vote on whether to seek to extend the implementation period or bring the backstop into effect," May said.
The vote, now scheduled to take place on Tuesday, was originally slated for December and postponed as it became clear it would not pass Commons amid concerns over the Irish border.
Both the United Kingdom and the European Union have been striving to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit. A backstop solution was included in the deal to avoid this outcome in case a better arrangement has not been found by the end of a transition period. Under this solution, the whole of the United Kingdom would be part of a single customs union with the European Union, but Northern Ireland would also adhere to some of EU single market rules, which could lead to checks in the Irish Sea.
The UK prime minister has insisted that this safety net solution could only be temporary and may not need to be used at all. However, the legal advice reluctantly released by the government in December confirmed many lawmakers' fears that the United Kingdom risked getting trapped in the backstop.