«Breaking News» Tory ERG MP claims hardliners will back down if 'guarantee' on the Irish border satisfies DUP

A member of the hardline Tory Brexiteers today said the group would back down and back the Brexit deal if Theresa May wins over the DUP.

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox is thought to be drawing up legal guarantees the Irish border backstop will not be permanent.

DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds repeated his demand yesterday changes must be 'legally binding'.

But the anonymous MP on the European Research Group (ERG) said Tory rebels would take their lead from the Northern Ireland party and back the deal if Mr Cox's work was enough.

A member of the hardline Tory Brexiteers said the group would back down and back the Brexit deal if Theresa May wins over the DUP (led by Arlene Foster and Nigel Dodds, pictured) today

The ERG led by Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured yesterday in the Commons) has so far been resolute in its opposition to the deal unless the Irish border backstop is stripped out - but appears to be softening its position 

DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds repeated his demand yesterday changes secured by Theresa May (pictured leaving Parliament last night) must be 'legally binding'

The ERG led by Jacob Rees-Mogg has so far been resolute in its opposition to the deal unless the Irish border backstop is stripped out.

But with less than a fortnight until the next approval vote is expected the group may be softening its position. Mr Rees-Mogg said yesterday he could accept an appendix after all. 

What is the 'Cox Codicil'?  

What is a 'codicil'? 

A legal term for an extra document attached to a treaty - a bit like an appendix.

What does this one try to do? 

It won't be clear unless and until it is published, but reports suggest Attorney General Geoffrey Cox is negotiating a codicil on how the backstop works.

The obvious intention will be to make clear the backstop can only be temporary. 

Will it work? 

Unclear. The EU already says the backstop is supposed to be temporary and that language already in the divorce treaty says so.

Cox's legal advice on the original deal was despite this language, if there is no future UK-EU trade deal there was nothing to stop the backstop lasting forever. 

The intention appears to be negotiating something that allows Cox to change his legal advice.

One member told the FT: 'If the DUP back the deal, so will we. We would be in a ludicrous position if we were seen as more unionist than the unionists.'

Hopes are rising in Downing Street Mr Cox's work - on a legal 'codicil' designed to make clearer how the backstop will work - could bear fruit.

An ERG source told MailOnline a panel of eight former lawyers - seven of which are current MPs and including Mr Dodds - would give the group a 'thumbs up or down' on what Mr Cox comes up with. 

Relations between No 10 and the DUP nose dived when the deal was first published late last year.

Mr Dodds and his party leader Arlene Foster said it created a regulatory border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain - paving the way for Mrs May's deal to be crushed by 230 votes in January. 

An ally of Mrs May told the FT: 'Relations are much better with the DUP but everything depends on us securing a better deal in Brussels.

'There is some cause for hope.'

A DUP source told the paper: 'We are giving Theresa May space, and have to wait and see what she gets back from Brussels before we make a judgment.

'We are not 'never' people. If it's the right deal we will tell people to support it. We don't say no to everything.' 

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox (pictured in Downing Street on Tuesday) is thought to be drawing up legal guarantees the Irish border backstop will not be permanent

During PMQs yesterday Mr Dodds blasted Remainer minsters who forced Mrs May to accept Brexit could be delayed for 'undermining' her negotiating position today.

Mr Dodds, who leads 10 MPs propping Mrs May up in No 10, said the actions of Amber Rudd, David Gauke and Greg Clark would make concessions harder to get.

He seized on a question at PMQs today to lash the ministers after Mrs May admitted on Tuesday MPs would be able to both delay Brexit and stop no deal if they rejected the Brexit divorce she has negotiated with Brussels. 

He said it meant 'the prospects of the PM being able to achieve the necessary changes have been undermined and her negotiating position weakened' by opening the door to delay.

Mr Dodds demanded she still come back with 'legally binding changes' to the backstop part of the deal.  

What is the Irish border backstop and why do Tory MPs hate it? 

The so-called Irish border backstop is one of the most controversial parts of the PM's Brexit deal. This is what it means: 

What is the backstop? 

The backstop was invented to meet promises to keep open the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland even if there is no comprehensive UK-EU trade deal.

The divorce deal says it will kick in automatically at the end of the Brexit transition if that deal is not in place.

If effectively keeps the UK in a customs union with the EU and Northern Ireland in both the customs union and single market.

This means many EU laws will keep being imposed on the UK and there can be no new trade deals. It also means regulatory checks on some goods crossing the Irish Sea. 

Why have Ireland and the EU demanded it? 

Because Britain demanded to leave the EU customs union and single market, the EU said it needed guarantees people and goods circulating inside met EU rules.

This is covered by the Brexit transition, which effectively maintains current rules, and can in theory be done in the comprehensive EU-UK trade deal.

But the EU said there had to be a backstop to cover what happens in any gap between transition and final deal.  

Why do critics hate it? 

Because Britain cannot decide when to leave the backstop. 

Getting out - even if there is a trade deal - can only happen if both sides agree people and goods can freely cross the border.

Brexiteers fear the EU will unreasonably demand the backstop continues so EU law continues to apply in Northern Ireland.  

Northern Ireland MPs also hate the regulatory border in the Irish Sea, insisting it unreasonably carves up the United Kingdom. 

What concessions did Britain get in negotiating it? 

During the negotiations, Britain persuaded Brussels the backstop should apply to the whole UK and not just Northern Ireland. Importantly, this prevents a customs border down the Irish Sea - even if some goods still need to be checked.

The Government said this means Britain gets many of the benefits of EU membership after transition without all of the commitments - meaning Brussels will be eager to end the backstop. 

It also got promises the EU will act in 'good faith' during the future trade talks and use its 'best endeavours' to finalise a deal - promises it says can be enforced in court.

What did the legal advice say about it? 

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said even with the EU promises, if a trade deal cannot be reached the backstop could last forever.

This would leave Britain stuck in a Brexit limbo, living under EU rules it had no say in writing and no way to unilaterally end it.

 

 

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2019/02/28/tory-erg-mp-claims-hardliners-will-back-down-if-guarantee-on-the-irish-border-satisfies-dup/
Main photo article A member of the hardline Tory Brexiteers today said the group would back down and back the Brexit deal if Theresa May wins over the DUP.
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox is thought to be drawing up legal guarantees the Irish border backstop will not be permanent.
DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds...

It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.

Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca





https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/02/28/09/10399272-0-image-m-2_1551345569810.jpg