Theresa May says Brexit deal still 'achievable', despite delays

Theresa May reassured Parliament that a Brexit deal is still “achievable” despite outstanding differences with the European Union and claims a broad agreement on the structure of the final relationship had already been secured.

Theresa May addressed Parliament on Monday and said negotiations were entering their final stages with critical issues still to be agreed upon, specifically the border issue in Northern Ireland.

May said that a backstop proposal might be necessary for the time being until a final solution is agreed. Although May insisted she would not accept Northern Ireland remaining alone in the single market and in the customs union.

In her speech, May claimed the EU was demanding “a backstop to the backstop” meaning that Northern Ireland should comply with the single market regulation as well as the UK remaining in the customs union.

“First, the EU says there is not time to work out the detail of this UK-wide solution in the next few weeks. So even with the progress we have made, the EU still requires a “backstop to the backstop” – effectively an insurance policy for the insurance policy.

"And they want this to be the Northern Ireland-only solution that they had previously proposed,” she told Parliament.

May also refused to give a firm guarantee that the backstop would definitely end by the end of the transition period on December 2021, instead only saying that she was positive there would be an end date to the backstop proposal.

“People are rightly concerned that what is only meant to be temporary could become a permanent limbo – with no new relationship between the UK and the EU ever agreed.

“I am clear we are not going to be trapped permanently in a single customs territory unable to do meaningful trade deals,” said May.

When asked about a second referendum, May said that if the Commons were to vote in favour of one, the government would consider it.