EU To Reject Outright Plans To Exclude Irish Border Backstop From Brexit Deal - Reports

Brussels will not accept any plans to axe the Irish border backstop from the withdrawal agreement with London, media reported on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2019) Brussels will not accept any plans to axe the Irish border backstop from the withdrawal agreement with London, media reported on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Tory leadership rivals, Boris Jonson and Jeremy Hunt, declared that the Northern Ireland backstop was "dead" and promised to exclude it from any withdrawal deal they would negotiate with the European Union.

If the next UK prime minister suggests such plans, it will amount to a declaration of no deal, The Guardian newspaper reported citing sources in Brussels.

The Irish border issue has been a stumbling block in the EU-UK Brexit talks. In November, Brussels and London agreed on the Brexit deal, including the so-called backstop that would be put into practice if the sides failed to agree on all the terms of their relationship by the end of the Brexit transition period.

The backstop would keep Northern Ireland in the EU Customs Union if London and Brussels failed to reach the deal.

However, the United Kingdom was unable to leave the European Union on March 29, as originally intended, because the withdrawal deal had been voted down by the UK lawmakers. The European Council gave the United Kingdom an extension until October 31, with an option to leave earlier if the UK parliament passes the deal.

The failure of the deal led to the resignation of UK Prime Minister Theresa May who has spent the last two years seeking a compromise Brexit deal.