UK Seeks 'legally Binding' Brexit Promises: Minister
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published December 11, 2018 | 06:30 PM
Britain wants "legally binding" assurances from EU leaders it will not be trapped indefinitely in their customs union by the Irish "backstop" clause in the Brexit divorce, a minister said Tuesday.
Martin Callanan, junior minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union, was speaking on arrival in Brussels for talks as Prime Minister Theresa May tours EU capitals in a bid to save her deal.
On Monday, May postponed a bid to get the Brexit deal she negotiated with EU leaders last month past parliament, and now she wants new reassurances over the emergency backstop clause.
EU leaders have warned repeatedly that the deal can not be "renegotiated" but EU president Jean-Claude Juncker -- who May was to meet later Tuesday -- has said there could be "further clarification and further interpretations".
But this may not be enough for London. Callanan, arriving at the European Council for foreign policy talks with fellow ministers, said May was seeking a binding promise that the backstop is not indefinite.
"Each side has their interests that they have to protect, and the Prime Minister is negotiating hard for the best interests of the UK," he told reporters.
"Well, she wants additional legal reassurances that UK cannot be permanently trapped in the Irish backstop. That's been the issue all along and that is the issue that is the heart of the concerns expressed by many members of the parliament."Asked whether these assurances could be made as a political declaration separate to the text of the deal itself, which EU leaders say can not be reopened, Callanan said: "I think that it is very important that these have to be additional legally binding reassurances"
Related Topics
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From World
-
NFL will allow players to wear Guardian Cap helmets in games
5 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga table
5 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A result
5 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga results
5 hours ago -
US troops to leave Chad in second African state withdrawal
5 hours ago -
Plastics pollution may be solved without production cap: Canada minister
5 hours ago
-
Biden stalls on menthol cigarette ban fearing Black vote backlash
5 hours ago -
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
5 hours ago -
6,000 French police to welcome Olympic torch amid bonus boost
5 hours ago -
Taiwan hit by several quakes, strongest reaching 6.1-magnitude
6 hours ago -
'Ballistic' Bairstow stars as Punjab pull off record T20 chase
6 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 2nd update
6 hours ago