Menu
Thu, 28 March 2024

Newsletter sign-up

Subscribe now
The House Live All
Health
Mission possible: Delivering tomorrow’s homes today Partner content
Economy
How data can lead to better health equity Partner content
By MSD
Health
Press releases
By BAE Systems Plc

Jean Claude Juncker: We are not far from agreeing a Brexit deal with the UK

2 min read

Britain and the EU are "not far" from agreeing a Brexit deal, Jean-Claude Juncker has claimed.


In a major boost for Theresa May, the European Commission president told Austrian journalists that an agreement should be reached in time for a special summit in November.

He said: "We are not that far yet. But our will is unbroken to reach agreement with the British government."

Mr Juncker's comments came after EU sources told Bloomberg that a deal on the issue of the Irish border was "very close".

Europea minister Alan Duncan told the BBC’s Any Questions last night that a deal was likely to be agreed by either October or November. 

"We are in the art of the possible here, and from what I see in government, I think that we will get a deal, be it in October or November at the two consecutive summits," he said.

However, the EU's official response to the Prime Minister's Chequers plan on Wednesday is expected to offer a much less comprehensive trade deal than she had hoped for.

Sources said only “about 30-40%” of the Prime Minister’s proposal is expected to be included in EU plans, with Brussels demanding “level playing field” conditions to prevent the UK undercutting EU laws on labour, state aid and regulatory standards. 

EU diplomats told Bloomberg that the bloc’s proposal would be relatively vaguely worded and couched in positive language to help the Prime Minister sell the deal to Tory backbenchers. 

The limited nature of the proposals is likely to intensify dissent among the Conservative Party’s Brexiteers, who are demanding that Mrs May pursue a so-called "Super Canada" deal instead.

PoliticsHome Newsletters

PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe

Read the most recent article written by Alex Hacillo - Philip Hammond 'forced to abandon' private school VAT plans

Podcast
Engineering a Better World

The Engineering a Better World podcast series from The House magazine and the IET is back for series two! New host Jonn Elledge discusses with parliamentarians and industry experts how technology and engineering can provide policy solutions to our changing world.

NEW SERIES - Listen now

Partner content
Connecting Communities

Connecting Communities is an initiative aimed at empowering and strengthening community ties across the UK. Launched in partnership with The National Lottery, it aims to promote dialogue and support Parliamentarians working to nurture a more connected society.

Find out more