ANGELA Merkel has said Brexit could be delayed AGAIN if Britain needs “more time” to find a solution to the Irish border impasse. The German chancellor supported the stance of incoming EU chief Ursula von der Leyen that the UK should be offered another extension beyond October 31. Speaking in Berlin, she said: “If the […]
ANGELA Merkel has said Brexit could be delayed AGAIN if Britain needs “more time” to find a solution to the Irish border impasse.
The German chancellor supported the stance of incoming EU chief Ursula von der Leyen that the UK should be offered another extension beyond October 31.
Speaking in Berlin, she said: “If the UK needs more time, we want to provide it.
“If that’s not the case, we won’t need to deal with this question.”
She also suggested the EU’s main offer to Boris Johnson will be to redraft the UK-EU trade plan so the controversial backstop is “overwritten”.
But that would likely involve Britain agreeing to a closer relationship with the bloc than a Canada-style FTA – such as a Customs Union.
Boris Johnson has repeatedly said Britain has to leave on October 31 – and told The Sun’s leadership debate on Monday that in his mind the backstop was “dead”.
Ms Merkel insisted she will continue to stand by Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement, saying it had been “very carefully negotiated”.
She said: “The moment a solution for the management of the border is found in the future relationship which basically squares the circle – on the one hand I have no physical border but on the
other hand the EU Single Market ends – then the backstop will be overwritten.
“This means the task is to draft future relations that way and perhaps to draft them more specifically and better and more precisely than so far.”
She added: “I believe the UK will find its way. It’s a big and proud nation and will find its way even if it’s not part of the EU any more.”
Speaking on a trip to the Irish border, Emmanuel Macron’s Europe minister Amelie de Montchalin said Mrs May’s deal was “more necessary than ever”.
The remarks came amid growing hostility within European capitals to granting Britain more time, with it being seen to have “wasted” the current extension.
Mrs von der Leyen, who won’t take over from Jean-Claude Juncker as Brussels boss until November 1, supports another delay if there’s a “good reason”.
But a number of EU leaders, headed up by Mr Macron, believe the bloc should now let Britain leave with or without a deal at the end of October.
A senior EU official told The Sun: “The reality is everybody has seen this did not contribute to the solution, the adoption of the Withdrawal Agreement.
“It is just purely seen from the European perspective as a complete waste of time.
“I’m not sure whether there will still be a unanimous willingness to extend again. The shorter the period, the greater the willingness.”
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