London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Johnson and Varadkar hold further Brexit talks

Johnson and Varadkar hold further Brexit talks

The talks come as EU leaders express pessimism over whether a deal can be reached by 31 October.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar are holding further talks to discuss the UK's Brexit proposals.

Downing Street said the meeting would allow "detailed discussions" on the process of securing a deal.

Mr Johnson has said he remains "cautiously optimistic" about a deal.

But on Wednesday EU leaders accused the UK of putting forward untested ideas, adding that progress towards a new deal had been limited.

A similar sentiment was expressed on Tuesday by Mr Varadkar, who suggested it would be "very difficult" for the UK and the EU to reach a Brexit agreement before the 31 October deadline.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the "behaviour and language" used by the PM "suggests he's not going to reach an agreement with the European Union".

But Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith called for MPs and commentators to "step back" and "give this meeting space".

Will 'Super Saturday' be a decisive Brexit moment?


Corbyn: No Brexit referendum before election


EU leaders criticise UK Brexit proposals


How are the UK's talks with the EU going?


The meeting between the two leaders is taking place in the north-west of England, with Mr Johnson still insisting the UK will leave the EU with or without a deal at the end of the month.

That is despite the so-called Benn Act - passed by MPs last month - demanding he request a delay to the Article 50 deadline from the EU until January 2020 if a deal has not been agreed before 19 October.

On Wednesday, Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom suggested the PM was gearing up to bypass legal obstacles to a no-deal Brexit by sending one letter requesting an extension and, in the same instance, submitting a second memo telling European leaders he does not want one.

Asked on ITV's Peston programme whether the idea of sending two letters to the EU was a possible loophole, Ms Leadsom replied: "Absolutely."

Mr Johnson put forward fresh proposals for a Brexit deal last week, but Mr Varadkar has said "big gaps" remain between the UK and the EU.

Former Tory chancellor Philip Hammond accused Mr Johnson of tabling a proposed deal that "is not going to fly, and was never going to fly".

"Much of it is stuff which has already been tried with the EU in the past and rejected in the past," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.


What are the PM's border plans?


Under Mr Johnson's proposals, which he calls a "broad landing zone" for a new deal with the EU:

Northern Ireland would leave the EU's customs union alongside the rest of the UK, at the start of 2021


But Northern Ireland would continue to apply EU legislation relating to agricultural and other products, if the Northern Ireland Assembly approves


This arrangement could, in theory, continue indefinitely, but the consent of Northern Ireland's politicians would have to be sought every four years


Customs checks on goods traded between the UK and EU would be "decentralised", with paperwork submitted electronically and only a "very small number" of physical checks


These checks should take place away from the border itself, at business premises or at "other points in the supply chain"

Updating MEPs on the state of talks, the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said he believed "with goodwill" on both sides there could be an agreement in the run-up to the EU summit later this month.

But he added: "To put things very frankly and to try to be objective, we are not really in a position where we are able to find an agreement."

EU heading for no-deal by mistake, Jeremy Hunt warns


What is in Boris Johnson's Brexit plan?


How could a no-deal Brexit happen?


As it stood, he continued, the UK was proposing replacing an "operable, practical and legal solution" to avoid a hard Irish border with "one that is simply a temporary solution".

Mr Barnier said the UK's suggested alternative to the Irish backstop - which would see customs checks conducted away from the border at business premises or electronically - "had not been tested" and was "largely based" on exemptions for small businesses and technology that had "yet to be developed".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×