The office of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, having faced a cool reception to its fresh Brexit proposals, said on Monday that the ball was now in the European Union's court
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2019) The office of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, having faced a cool reception to its fresh Brexit proposals, said on Monday that the ball was now in the European Union's court.On Wednesday, Johnson revealed a new plan to replace the previously rejected Irish backstop. His proposals revolve around the creation of an all-Ireland regulatory framework on cross-border trade, with Northern Ireland exiting the EU customs union along with the rest of the UK while still complying with European standards on goods. The EU and Dublin have criticized the plan for a de facto customs border on the island of Ireland. The bloc even reportedly rejected last weekend's talks, saying that the sides were "still a long way" from an agreement.
"We are ready to have discussions at pace. For that to happen, the EU needs to engage fully with the proposals we have put forward. The PM believes that we have set out a fair and sensible compromise, and we are now looking to the EU to match the compromises that the UK has made," a government spokesman said, as quoted by The Guardian.
According to the newspaper, the comment followed Johnson's phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, during which the latter gave London until the end of the week to overhaul the Brexit plan.
Reacting to the criticism of the alternative to the Irish backstop, the spokesman said that the cabinet was ready to exercise more flexibility, provided that its red lines were preserved.
"The PM set out in his letter, that this provided a broad landing zone, and we were willing to engage in further discussions on our proposals. But if your question is are we prepared for Northern Ireland to be in a different customs territory to the UK, the answer is a very firm no," he added.
Johnson strives to take the country out of the bloc by the October 31 deadline, "come what may." However, he has faced strong opposition to a no-deal in parliament.
