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A Brexit deal was hanging by a thread today as talks in Brussels went into extra time and the DUP were called back to Downing Street in a bid to push it over the line.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar said “an additional summit” of all 28 EU leaders may be needed later this month because of “issues yet to be resolved”, putting Boris Johnson’s “do or die” October 31 deadline for leaving into doubt.
Talks in Brussels paused at 11.20am amid reports of an impasse that could only be unblocked if the Northern Ireland unionists gave a political concession.
Sources told the Evening Standard that DUP leader Arlene Foster was expected to return for talks at No 10. DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson dismissed claims that his party was seeking cash.
“This is an issue of whether or not the Union is weakened. If the Union is weakened no amount of money will get us to accept the deal,” he said.
Former Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson, a senior Brexiteer, warned that a “dual-tariff system” as mooted in the talks would be “unacceptable”. Other leading Brexiteers were reserving their verdict for the DUP to take a lead.
Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay confirmed to a committee of MPs that if there was no deal, Mr Johnson will send a letter to Brussels requesting an extension of Article 50 .
The drama came after marathon talks crashed through the midnight deadline set by Michel Barnier, the chief EU negotiator, and carried on into the early hours of today.
British officials left at 12.30am for a break but the lights stayed burning in the Berlaymont headquarters of the EU until 2.30am as officials pored over the details.
At 9am, the British team led by negotiator David Frost returned for another session. The Prime Minister delayed Cabinet until 4pm and pencilled in a meeting with backbench Tory MPs for 7.30pm, fuelling the expectation that he would have a deal to trumpet.
At 11.20am Mr Frost emerged from the building and was driven away in a silver-grey limousine for private discussions with the UK side. At the same time, it was reported that the discussions had hit a deadlock. The pound dipped from yesterday’s high that came after optimism about a deal.
Mr Varadkar, speaking after phone talks with the Prime Minister, said: “There is a pathway to a possible deal but there are many issues that still need to be fully resolved, particularly around the consent mechanism and also some issues around customs and VAT.
“I do think we are making progress but there are issues yet to be resolved and hopefully that can be done today.”
He went on: “But if it’s not, there is still more time. October 31 is still a few weeks away and there is the possibility of an additional summit before that if we need one. Although time is running short, I am confident that these [Ireland’s] objectives can be met.”
Mr Barclay, quizzed by a the Commons Brexit select committee at Westminster, confirmed that the PM would “comply” with commitments made in a letter to a Scottish court for the Prime Minister to send a letter to Brussels on Saturday asking for an extension to Brexit beyond October 31 if no deal is reached.
He said: “I confirm that the Government will abide by what it set out in that letter.” When pressed on how this was compatible with Mr Johnson’s “do or die” pledge to leave by October 31, he added: “We will cross that bridge in due course.”
He also rejected the idea of a short “technical extension” to strike a new Brexit agreement, adding: “It’s important that we leave on October 31.”
Senior No 10 sources were strongly playing down hopes of a deal being agreed, saying that optimistic headlines this morning were not justified. “There are still hurdles that require political will to overcome,” said an official close to the drama.
One senior Brexiteer said the DUP would be key to unlocking the deal and forecast that they would negotiate a generous cash package for Northern Ireland to justify the political risks they were taking. But this was strongly denied by No 10.
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