British Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to proceed with her “soft Brexit plan” in the coming days; saying she intends to “move forward” with high-level negotiations with the European Union even if it ends her role as party leader.
May penned an op-ed in the Sun this week addressed to the “People of Britain,” writing “The hardest part of Brexit is to come but the finish line is in sight — and the deal will be right for you, your family and our country.”
“Because the Brexit talks are not about me or my personal fortunes. They’re about the national interest – and that means making the right choices, not the easy ones,” she adds. “But with five months to go until we leave the EU, we have already reached agreement on the vast majority of our exit deal.”
The most pivotal issue facing UK-EU negotiation is the so-called “backstop,” with May flat-out refusing to erect a physical barrier between Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom) and the Republic of Ireland (part of the European Union.)
“I’ve been very clear that this must be achieved without creating any kind of border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK – doing so would undermine our precious Union and put at risk the hard-won peace,” writes May.
Read her full statement at the Sun.
BREXIT BREAKDOWN: British Prime Minister Says EU Talks Have Totally ‘STALLED’
British Prime Minister Theresa May says Brexit negotiations with European Union officials have completely “stalled” after EU authorities flat-out rejected her separation proposals; claiming they “rejected her plans without explaining why.”
According to Reuters, EU leaders in Austria slammed May’s initial proposal, saying she needed to yield on demands for “ground trade” and the United Kingdom’s border with Ireland.
“It’s not acceptable to simply reject the other side’s proposals without a detailed explanation and counter proposals,” said the British Prime Minister.
“So we now need to hear from the EU what the real issues are, what their alternative is, so that we can discuss them. Until we do, we cannot make progress,” she added.
A key point of contention is the United Kingdom’s border with Ireland, with EU officials demanding there can be no “hard barrier” between the two nations.
Read the full report here.
BREXIT BREAKDOWN: UK Foreign Minister QUITS, Theresa May Facing REVOLT
The United Kingdom’s head negotiator leading the nation’s complicated divorce from the European Union suddenly resigned Monday; prompting the UK Foreign Minster to quit his post as the Prime Minister faces an all-out revolt from Parliament.
Brexit negotiator David Davis suddenly stepped down Monday after failing to secure key concessions from EU member states after the UK’s withdrawal.
Hours later UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson resigned over the political crisis.
“This afternoon, the Prime Minister accepted the resignation of Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary. His replacement will be announced shortly. The Prime Minister thanks Boris for his work,” said a statement from Prime Minister Theresa May.
The escalating crisis is casting new doubt on May’s political future, with Brexit proponents saying her “soft” plan would force the UK into the worst of all positions; remaining locked in the union’s open border scheme without any voting power.
Read the full report at CNBC.