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DUP branded 'embarrassing' for not joining bid to stop no-deal Brexit

None of the DUP's MPs have signed the Church House Declaration that aims to thwart a no-deal Brexit. Picture by Niall Carson/PA Wire
None of the DUP's MPs have signed the Church House Declaration that aims to thwart a no-deal Brexit. Picture by Niall Carson/PA Wire None of the DUP's MPs have signed the Church House Declaration that aims to thwart a no-deal Brexit. Picture by Niall Carson/PA Wire

THE DUP was last night branded "embarrassing" for not backing a cross-party bid at Westminster to stop a no-deal Brexit.

The criticism from SDLP leader Colum Eastwood came as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn confirmed a co-ordinated effort to stop the UK crashing out of the EU.

Opposition leaders agreed yesterday to prioritise a legislative approach rather than an effort to oust Boris Johnson.

It came as the British prime minister told European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker that the UK will leave without a deal unless the Irish backstop is "abolished".

Mr Johnson made clear in a phone call to Mr Juncker that the UK will leave on October 31 "whatever the circumstances", a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

She said they "absolutely want to do so with a deal", but "unless the withdrawal agreement is reopened and the backstop abolished there is no prospect of that deal".

Earlier, tánaiste Simon Coveney said measures suggested by Britain to replace the backstop are "not even close" to being a solution.

"I think we need to be honest here, that the alternative arrangements that have been discussed to date do not do the same job as the backstop, not even close," he said.

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Speaking in Prague, Mr Coveney said there "needs to be a deal done on the basis of honesty, in terms of the complexity of the issue we are facing".

The backstop is a last resort aimed at preventing a hard border in Ireland after Brexit by keeping the north aligned to EU rules if alternative arrangements cannot be agreed.

The DUP has said it wants a "sensible" Brexit but opposes the backstop as "unacceptable to unionists".

Mr Corbyn said Mr Johnson needs to "respect parliament" and understand that its role was to "question and challenge the executive".

A Downing Street source accused the MPs of "seeking to sabotage the UK's position" in negotiations with Brussels.

Mr Eastwood said all parties needed to be "working collaboratively and intensively" to avoid a no-deal Brexit.

"It is embarrassing that the DUP appears to be the only party not even trying to avoid a car-crash Brexit despite representing some of the areas that will be most negatively affected," he said.