Franklin, Andrews, Kramer & Edelstein

[scion]

Brexit chaos: PM makes 'no breakthrough' after phone call with DUP's Arlene Foster

Laura Hughes, political correspondent 6 DECEMBER 2017 • 3:28PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/06/theresa-may-faces-revolt-soft-brexit-dup-warns-radical-work/

* 'More work to be done' on Irish border issue
* Boris Johnson and Michael Gove lead Cabinet revolt
* David Davis reveals Brexit impact assessments 'don't exist'
* Ruth Davidson tells PM any Irish Brexit deal must apply across UK
* MOD bans Hammond from using RAF planes in row over unpaid bill
* Keir Starmer says he 'wouldn't rule out' staying in single market?
* PMQS: Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn go head-to-head

Theresa May is battling to get the Brexit negotiations back on track amid deadlock over the future status of the Irish border.

Arlene Foster finally picked up the phone to Theresa May this morning, but the call did not result in any breakthrough over the Irish border question, sources say.

The DUP says there is "still much work to be done" and is sticking to its earlier suggestion that it might take "several days" to resolve.

The phone call did, however, save Mrs May the embarrassment of attending Prime Minister's Questions without even being able to say she had spoken to the DUP leader.

The Democratic Unionists - who prop up the Government in Parliament - have insisted they will not sign up to a proposal for Northern Ireland to remain in "regulatory alignment" with the Republic once Britain has left the EU.

However the Irish government has warned that unless the UK goes ahead with the plan there could be no question of the Brexit negotiations moving on to the second phase - including trade talks - before the end of the year.

Mrs May told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions that the issue could only be finally resolved once negotiations with the EU move onto the second phase - including talks on a free trade deal.

Mrs May said: "We will ensure that there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

"We will do that while we respect the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom and while we respect the internal market and protect the internal market of the United Kingdom.

"That is the point of the second phase of the negotiations, because we aim to deliver this as part of our overall trade deal with the European Union and we can only talk about that when we get into phase two."

DUP MPs (left to right) Nigel Dodds, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Gregory Campbell listen in as Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions
DUP MPs (left to right) Nigel Dodds, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Gregory Campbell listen in as Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions CREDIT: PA
Mrs May is facing a Cabinet revolt after Brexiteers led by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove expressed “genuine fear” that she trying to force through a soft Brexit.

She has been accused of trying to “bounce” the Cabinet into agreeing to “regulatory alignment” between Ulster and Ireland after it emerged she did not brief senior ministers before talks in Brussels on Monday that stalled over the controversial issue.

One Cabinet source said: “It seems that either Northern Ireland is splitting from the rest of the UK or we are headed for high alignment with the EU, which certainly hasn’t been agreed by Cabinet. The Prime Minister is playing a risky game.”

The Daily Telegraph understands that Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are among senior Brexit-supporting ministers who are now concerned about the direction of travel.

Auto update On 3:23pm

No discussion on end state position for the UK after Brexit

Philip Hammond has revealed that the Cabinet has not yet had a full discussion of what should be the Government's preferred "end state position" for the UK after Brexit.

The Chancellor told the Commons Treasury Committee: "The Cabinet has had general discussions about our Brexit negotiations, but we haven't had a specific mandating of an end-state position.

"That is something that will be done first in the sub-committee constituted to deal with this issue, and logically that will happen once we have confirmation that we have reached 'sufficient progress' and are going to begin the phase two process with the European Union.

"We are not yet at that stage and it would have been premature to have that discussion before we reach that stage."
...
more
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/06/theresa-may-faces-revolt-soft-brexit-dup-warns-radical-work/