- Boris Johnson has submitted his ‘final offer’ plans to scrap backstop to the EU
- EU yet to formally respond but initial noises not been good for Downing Street
- European ambassadors reportedly set Oct 11 deadline for PM to change his offer
- If no progress by that new deadline chances of No Deal will rise significantly
- PM due to go on European trip at start of next week to urge leaders to back him
Boris Johnson has been given one week to improve his Brexit offer to the EU as the Prime Minister prepares to embark on a series of whirlwind trips to European capitals in a last ditch bid to strike a deal.
Mr Johnson is expected to visit with a number of his European counterparts at the start of next week in a bid to persuade them to back his ‘final offer’.
But the premier appears to be facing an uphill challenge to win them over after senior figures on the continent gave a downbeat response to his proposals on how to scrap the Irish border backstop.
The EU is yet to formally respond to Mr Johnson’s five point plan but the initial noises have not been good for Number 10.
And things got worse overnight after it emerged that European ambassadors had reportedly set an October 11 cut-off date for Mr Johnson to make his plan more palatable to the bloc.
Should Mr Johnson fail to respond to the new deadline it raises the prospect of EU leaders refusing to discuss his blueprint at a crunch summit in Brussels on October 17 – the last summit before the UK’s October 31 departure date.
Boris Johnson, pictured leaving Number 10 yesterday, submitted his ‘final offer’ on Brexit to the EU on Wednesday. He is expected to visit European capitals next week
Mr Johnson is likely to visit with Angela Merkel in Berlin, pictured in Kiel, Germany yesterday, but his hopes of progress will have been dashed by the EU’s negative initial response to his backstop replacement proposals
The one week ultimatum was reportedly agreed upon by European ambassadors last night after Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, apparently informed them the UK would need to ‘fundamentally amend its position’.
Downing Street had previously suggested that the proposed legal text submitted to the European Commission on Wednesday this week represented the UK’s ‘final offer’.
But the response in private from Mr Barnier and the move by the ambassadors suggests Mr Johnson may have to reconsider that stance if he is to avoid a No Deal split or a Brexit delay on Halloween.
Mr Johnson was given a domestic Brexit boost yesterday as a number of MPs who had previously voted against Theresa May’s draft divorce deal signalled they were willing to back his draft accord.
But the fate of the PM’s plans currently rests entirely in the hands of the EU.
If the bloc decides that they can form the basis of a new deal then the two sides will be able to enter into frantic negotiations ahead of the EU summit later this month.
If Brussels rejects the plans out of hand then the PM will be left with relatively few options.
The bloc’s pessimism over the terms proposed by Mr Johnson was summed up by Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, who said yesterday that he remained ‘open’ to considering them but was ‘still unconvinced’.
Meanwhile, Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach, was even stronger in his suggestions that he did not believe the plans would be acceptable as he sparked fury by claiming British voters were being taken out of the EU against their will.
Downing Street will be waiting for a formal response from the EU, expected in the next few days, before deciding what to do next.
But the decision by ambassadors, reported by The Times, to give the PM a one week ultimatum is unlikely to go down well given that the UK has only just submitted its fresh offer.
One ambassador said: ‘We will have to make a judgment call at the end of next week with regard to deciding if it’s possible to have a deal in time for the European Council on October 17.’
Mr Johnson’s plan is not yet on life support but the path to agreeing a new deal appears to be fraught with difficulty.
The PM has been hitting the phone in recent days to try to persuade EU leaders to at least entertain what he is proposing.
There had been rumours that he could travel to Berlin today for talks with Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, but that is apparently not happening.
Instead, Mr Johnson is expected to engage in shuttle diplomacy at the start of next week.
However, it is not yet clear exactly when and where he will be going but it is thought the German capital will be at the top of the list.
If Mr Johnson is able to win the EU’s backing for his plan, then attention will turn to whether the PM can secure a Commons majority for his proposed way forward.
The government is bullish on the PM’s chances of being able to get his deal through after the DUP and hardline Tory Brexiteers suggested they would back it.
But success or failure is likely to hinge on whether Mr Johnson can win the support of at least a handful of Labour MPs.