Donald Tusk: Britain has 10 days to fix the Irish border issue if it wants Brexit breakthrough

Donald Tusk and Theresa May in Brussels today
Donald Tusk and Theresa May in Brussels today Credit:  Anadolu Agency

Theresa May has 10 days to resolve the issue of the Irish border if she wants to make a Brexit breakthrough at a key summit next month, Donald Tusk warned today.

The Prime Minister met Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, in Brussels as she signalled she is prepared to give ground on the Brexit divorce bill if the EU commits to trade talks.

Mr Tusk said that a breakthrough at the European Council summit on December 14 is "possible" but will still be a "huge challenge". He added that progress must be made "on all issues, including on Ireland".

British officials believe that the EU is likely to concede that "sufficient progress" has been made on citizens' rights and the Brexit divorce bill, making the Irish border the biggest outstanding issue. Ireland today threatened to block talks on the future relationship between the EU and the UK unless it was given "credible answers and a credible road map" to ensure there was no hard border.

Simon Coveney, Ireland's foreign minister, received assurances from Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, and Mr Tusk after meeting them in Brussels. Mr Coveney said: "The truth is that if we see regulatory divergence between the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland it is very hard to see, in that scenario, how you avoid hard border checks.

"I hope and expect that we can get that by December so that we can all move on. If we can't, then I think there is going to be a difficulty coming up."

However the Prime Minister has repeatedly made clear that the UK, including Northern Ireland, will leave the Single Market and the Customs Union after Brexit. She said yesterday: "We [the UK and the Republic] have the same desire. We want to ensure the free movement of people and trade across the border can carry on as now."

Tory eurosceptics have warned the Prime Minister that she must not give any more ground. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a eurosceptic MP, said: "The EU cannot expect the UK to continue to give into its absurd demands. The integrity of the United Kingdom is not up for negotiation."

The issue is further complicated by prospect of a snap election in Ireland which could derail Mrs May's hopes of a breakthrough at the December summit. Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s prime minister, has backed his beleaguered deputy in a scandal that could topple his minority government at a crucial point in UK-EU discussions. Fine Gael Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald is resisting growing opposition party calls to quit over a controversy involving a bid to discredit a Garda whistleblower. Fianna Fail, which has a confidence and supply deal with Fine Gael, has said it will table a no-confidence vote against her next week - a move which would force a snap election.

Mr Coveney said: "Ireland does not need an election right now.  We do not believe the country needs that in the context of some of the enormous decisions that will taken on Ireland's future in the context of our relationship with Britain at a summit in three weeks time.”

It came as  Boyko Borrisov, the prime minister of Bulgaria, broke ranks with the remaining 27 member states and predicted that Britain was headed for a hard Brexit. Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, accused the European Union of behaving like a "gang" during negotiations by trying to punish Britain for Brexit.

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