Theresa May said she confronted Donald Tusk (pictured together in Brussels today)
Now Tusk backs CORBYN as he twists the knife again: EU President ‘told May Labour leader’s Brexit plan could be a way out of the current impasse’ in brutal Brussels face-off
Donald Tusk twisted the knife again during today’s brutal Brussels face-off as he told Theresa May that Jeremy Corbyn’s new plan for Brexit ‘could be a way out of the current impasse’ .
A grim-faced Prime Minister returned to London tonight having achieved little beyond a new round of talks starting on Monday. Her demand the legally binding Withdrawal Agreement be reopened was blocked.
And she faced a new blow as the EU Council President backed Mr Corbyn’s new position. He sent a letter to No 10 last night to say Labour could back the divorce deal if there are changes to the political declaration on the future UK-EU relationship. He wants a customs union with the EU and close alignment with the single market.
No 10 officials said the Government was studying the proposals in Mr Corbyn’s letter but insisted leaving the customs union was necessary for Britain to strike new trade deals around the world.
The letter has also sparked a bitter new round of Labour infighting amid warnings helping deliver Brexit would shatter ties with Remain-supporting activists and MPs.
The EU has said the future partnership document could be changed if MPs would then vote for the divorce deal – despite it not being enough for Mrs May’s rebellious Brexiteers.
The chilly meeting between Mrs May and Mr Tusk saw the Premier take him to task over his claim the leaders of the Leave campaign will have a ‘special place in Hell’ for backing Brexit with no plan for the Irish border.
The PM said she raised the ‘unhelpful’ barb with the EU council president as they met for crisis discussions in the Belgian capital this afternoon.
The clash was revealed as Mrs May emerged from a fraught series of discussions, admitting that it would not be ‘easy’ to secure legally-binding changes to the Irish border backstop. But she insisted she would ‘deliver Brexit and deliver it on time’.
Earlier, Jean-Claude Juncker again insisted that the Withdrawal Agreement will not be reopened – saying the bloc had already made ‘significant concessions’.
In a small win for Mrs May, the EU commission chief agreed that formal negotiations can be reopened – but only on the future relationship and not the binding Withdrawal Agreement treaty.
But they effectively kicked the can down the road once again by saying they would meet before the end of the month to ‘take stock’ of what progress had been made.
Speculation is mounting that the premier is targeting an EU summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on February 24 to seal tweaks to her package. It would only then be put to a Commons vote – raising the stakes as the UK is due to depart the bloc at the end of March. Downing Street sources said tonight Mrs May had not confirmed her attendance at the meeting, which is about future EU-Arab ties.
After holding his own