#Brexit – May jets to Strasbourg for last-ditch attempt to clinch a deal

This evening (11 March) it has been confirmed that British Prime Minister Theresa May is jetting to Strasbourg this evening for last-ditch negotiations with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, writes Catherine Feore.

The European Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas updated journalists at 12h on the conversation between Jean-Claude Juncker and British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday (10 March). Schinas said that they took stock of technical work completed, and added that no meetings at a political level are scheduled.

Within hours that decision has been overturned, with confirmation that May is on her way to Strasbourg, leaving Robin Walker, Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union to deliver a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon.

Over the weekend it became clear that the prime minister was unlikely to win Tuesday’s vote (12 March) on the Withdrawal Agreement. Shadow Secretary of State for Brexit, Keir Starmer, said that Labour would not be able to support the agreement as there have been no changes – in particular, Labour wanted the government to move on its ‘red lines’.

The Prime Minister is preparing to bring back the exact same deal Parliament rejected in January.

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That’s not progress, that’s eight weeks of failure. #Ridge pic.twitter.com/m1QXneOGtK

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 10, 2019

The deal has not changed in substance since the last vote in the UK’s parliament and cannot rely on the support of Conservative MPs who insisted on substantial, though unspecified, ‘alternative arrangements’ of a legally binding nature for the Irish backstop. The Prime Minister hopes to table a motion today and to confirm that the 'meaningful vote' will go ahead tomorrow. Brexit Secretary of State Stephen Barclay will address the House of Commons later this evening (11 March).

At the midday briefing in the European Commission, the spokesperson said that the EU was willing to make further proposals and offer further reassurances that the backstop will be temporary. He said that the Commission would be committed to using its best endeavours to replace the backstop and are ready to launch a dedicated workstream on alternative arrangements during the transition period. Schinas said that the Commission was committed to ratifying this deal before the 29 March, but that this was in the hands of the House of Commons.

Finance ministers arriving for the Eurogroup and Ecofin Council were asked what they thought of the current state of play.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz was asked about his reaction to the latest impasse in Brexit negotiations and if he would be stepping-up preparations for a 'no deal Brexit'. Scholz said that everyone in Europe was preparing for both a 'no deal' and an orderly exit, based on the current Withdrawal Agreement, but he would prefer that the British parliament supported the negotiated deal.

Scholz said that if you look at the front pages of the newspapers across Europe you will find that Brexit is not the main focus of European concerns. He said that no one in Europe is trying to keep the British in the EU, but he has the impression that some in the UK believe that this is the case.

Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra was asked if he was ready for the possibility of a 'no deal' Brexit on this way into the Eurogroup meeting of Eurozone finance ministers. Hoekstra said that as Dutch Finance Minister  he had already started preparations for a 'hard Brexit' - which in this context referred to an exit where the UK hadn't agreed to the Withdrawal Agreement. He also said that to his mind it was bad news for Europe, bad news particularly for the Netherlands and particularly bad news for the UK.

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