Leo Varadkar says Brexit deal will be ‘very difficult’

Irish premier Leo Varadkar says it will be “very difficult” for the UK and the EU to reach a Brexit agreement before the 31 October deadline.

Speaking to Irish state broadcaster RTE, the Taoiseach, who had a 45-minute phone call with Boris Johnson yesterday, said that “big gaps” remain between the two sides and that the language around the discussions had turned toxic “in some quarters”.

He said that Britain has “repudiated the deal that we negotiated in good faith with prime minister May's government over two years and have sort of put half of that now back on the table, and are saying that's a concession”.

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Varadkar vowed to endeavour until the “last moment” to reach a deal with the UK, but “not at any cost” to his country, Northern Ireland and the rest of Europe.

Asked about the prospect of a breakthrough before the summit of EU leaders on 17 October, he said: “I think it's going to be very difficult to secure an agreement by next week, quite frankly.”

Following Johnson’s call with his opposite number, Downing Street said that “both sides strongly reiterated their desire to reach a Brexit deal” and hoped to meet in person later in the week.

Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that the Irish government has condemned what it calls “misinformation” and “pressure” from Britain. Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney denied accusations from Downing Street that Dublin had virtually sabotaged any chance of compromise.

“No country wants a deal more than Ireland but we will not strike a deal at any cost,” he told a press conference in Dublin. He complained of “conflicting reports” from London and “a hard line” from those briefing the media.

Johnson’s chances of a Brexit deal were already hanging by a thread after a disagreement with Angela Merkel took negotiations to the brink of collapse.

During an early morning call, the German chancellor rebuffed Johnson’s appeal for help to rescue negotiations over his new backstop proposals. Downing Street said that Merkel’s response was a “clarifying moment” which suggested that a deal was “essentially impossible, not just now but ever”.

Sky News said the development prompted “a backlash from Brussels”. The quotes from Downing Street prompted Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, to accuse Johnson of playing a “stupid blame game”.

The Times notes that the “diplomatic spat” is a less than ideal state of affairs as the 31 October deadline approaches.

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