Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez: “The guarantees are still not enough and Spain maintains its veto to Brexit. If there is a deal, then it will be lifted. If there is no deal … the European Council will most likely not take place.”Here's the full story.
“The Commission president has informed me that it has been agreed at negotiators’ level and agreed in principle at political level, subject to the endorsement of the leaders,” Tusk said.Here's the full story.
Gibraltar is believed to be the final obstacle from EU leaders that Theresa May faces. Gibraltar has been a British territory since 1713 but Spain has long claimed sovereignty. In the 2016 EU referendum 96 percent of Gibraltar’s population voted to remain in the EU.Here's the full story.
“There is no clarity whatsoever about the future relationship between the UK and the EU so the House of Commons is going to be asked to effectively endorse a blindfold Brexit,” Sturgeon said of the draft deal published earlier this week. Here's the full story.
Irish leader Leo Varadkar: “I think in a no-deal scenario it would be very difficult to avoid a hard border because of the obvious fact that, Ireland remaining part of the European Union, would no doubt be asked to implement European Union law.”Here's the full story.
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party who is seeking early elections, called the entire negotiations process “shambolic”. “This government spent two years negotiating a bad deal that will leave the country in an indefinite half-way house.”Here's the full story.
“All of the great and the good who were rolled out during the #EURef (EU referendum) will be rolled out again in the coming weeks to try and get us to fall into line. We are clear – we will not be voting for this humiliation!” Northern Irish DUP hardliner Sammy Wilson said on Twitter.Here's the full story.
“No one is fooled by this theatre. Delay after staged managed delay,” Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter. “A deal will be reached and it will mean surrender by the UK.”Here's the full story.
Multiple reports today suggested Theresa May is trying to get a deal agreed on her own side within 48 hours. Otherwise there will not be enough time to arrange a special November summit with the other 27 EU leaders. A government source told Sky News: “Realistically at some stage on Wednesday is as late as it can go”.Here's the full story.
“To be frank, we are not there yet. The clock is ticking. The choices need to be made now on the UK side,” Barnier told reporters after a meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila. Here's the full story.
“I do think that, with every day that passes, the possibility of having a special summit in November becomes less likely,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.Here's the full story.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May has secured private concessions from Brussels which would keep Britain in the customs union after Brexit. May will warn Brexiteers that if they reject this deal they will be blamed for causing a potentially very difficult no deal scenario.Here's the full story.
Theresa May tells MPs the Brexit divorce agreement with Brussels is now 95% settled, but insisted she will not accept any final deal that creates a customs border in the Irish Sea. It comes after an estimated 700,000 protesters marched through London on Saturday demanding a “People’s Vote” on the terms of a deal, and a wave of speculation in the Sunday newspapers that a vote of no confidence in the prime minister could be imminent.Here's the full story.
European Union negotiator Michel Barnier said on Friday a Brexit deal with the United Kingdom was 90 percent done, although there was still a chance no accord would be reached due to ongoing stumbling blocks over the Irish border. “Ninety percent of the accord on the table has been agreed with Britain,” European Union negotiator Michel Barnier told France Inter radio. Here's the full story.
“This is a crucial week both for the UK and our European partners. The importance of achieving a Brexit deal that respects the autonomy of the EU and the sovereignty of the UK cannot be overstated,” British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said in a statement. Here's the full story.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday he would advise Labour Party lawmakers to vote down a Brexit divorce deal that Theresa May is trying to clinch with the European Union.
“My view is this only happens if there is blockage in parliament. But if there is blockage in parliament it is a very simple argument. You say look we have been two and a bit years trying to reach an agreement that works, parliament is blocked.” Here's the full story.
British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said to a standing ovation: “As it stands, Labour will vote against the Chequers plan or whatever is left of it and oppose leaving the EU with no deal. And it is inconceivable that we should crash out of Europe with no deal – that would be a national disaster. That is why if parliament votes down a Tory (Conservative) deal or the government fails to reach any deal at all we would press for a general election.” Here's the full story.
Muhammadu Buhari: “Ladies and Gentlemen, it is our hope that as the power situation improves, we will improve investor confidence, create jobs, reduce the cost of doing business and encourage more economic growth in Nigeria.”