Brussels: Britain and the EU agreed Thursday to hold more talks to try to avoid a no-deal Brexit, after a “robust” meeting between Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.
A joint statement issued after the talks in Brussels said Mr Juncker had again warned that November’s withdrawal agreement could not be renegotiated — after Ms May came hoping to persuade Brussels to agree on the need to change the so-called “backstop” clause for the Irish border.
But Mr Juncker “expressed his openness to add wording” to a parallel political declaration laying out ambitions for future EU-UK ties if London wants to seek a “more ambitious” closer relationship after Brexit.
In a sharp reminder of the urgency of finding a solution before Brexit day on March 29, Bank of England governor Mark Carney warned that Britain’s economy was “not yet prepared” for a no-deal departure.
Ms May came hoping to change the backstop — — the plan to keep the Irish border open — so that Britain cannot be “trapped” in the bloc against its will, and by doing so win over enough MPs at home to get the deal through Parliament.
