Northern Ireland

Eleventh hour leaders' meeting keeps hope of Brexit breakthrough alive

 Taioseach Leo Varadkar and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of yesterday's talks at Thornton Manor Hotel in Cheshire. Picture by PA Wire
Taioseach Leo Varadkar and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of yesterday's talks at Thornton Manor Hotel in Cheshire. Picture by PA Wire Taioseach Leo Varadkar and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of yesterday's talks at Thornton Manor Hotel in Cheshire. Picture by PA Wire

HOPES of a Brexit agreement between Britain and the EU remained alive last night after Leo Varadkar and Boris Johnson emerged from a hastily arranged meeting saying they could "see a pathway" to a possible deal.

The taoiseach later spoke of a "very positive" meeting, adding that there was potential for an agreement that would enable the UK to leave the EU in an "orderly fashion".

The positive tone in the aftermath of the leaders' meeting at Thornton Manor in Cheshire contrasted greatly with the pessimism of recent days.

Earlier this week, briefings by anonymous No 10 sources accused the Dublin government of backtracking on previous commitments to try to find a deal and refusing to negotiate.

But with a sense of renewed optimism, the focus now shifts to this morning's scheduled meeting between EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay.

Mr Varadkar said yesterday's discussions, which lasted for more than two hours, were "sufficient to allow negotiations to resume in Brussels".

He said he felt it was possible to secure a deal by the end of October – when the UK is scheduled to leave the EU.

The taoiseach told a press conference at Liverpool airport that he had a "very good meeting" with the prime minister.

"I am now absolutely convinced that both Ireland and Britain want there to be an agreement that's in the interests of Ireland, the United Kingdom and Europe as a whole," he said.

The Fine Gael leader echoed the sentiments of a joint statement issued by the two governments, which was upbeat about the potential for a deal. However, he did also sound a cautious note.

"I think it is possible for us to come to an agreement, to have a treaty to allow the UK to leave the EU in an orderly fashion, and to have that done by the end of October, but there's many in the slip between cup and lip," he said.

Earlier this week EU leaders were dismissive of the proposals tabled last week by British prime minister that would see Northern Ireland effectively remain tied to EU single market rules for goods but leave the customs union.

It also proposed that the currently suspended Stormont assembly would have to give consent to continued EU alignment and renew that approval every four years.

Beyond the joint statement Mr Johnson said nothing after the meeting, while the taoiseach stressed that discussions were "at a very sensitive stage".

He said despite the progress, a number of issues were "yet to be fully resolved", including ensuring that any long-term arrangement applying to Northern Ireland had the consent of the people in the region.

A further issue, he said, was ensuring "there is no customs border between north and south".

"We also had a good discussion looking forward to how relationships might look after Brexit, how we can strengthen cooperation north and south, economically and politically," Mr Varadkar said.

He said his government would also need to "consult and engage" with the European Commission.

"What this is about is securing an agreement that works for the people of Ireland and also the people of Britain and Europe – if it works for the people of Ireland, what it means is, avoiding a hard border between north and south," he said.

"That's always been our primary objective, ensuring that the all-island economy can continue to develop, and that north-south cooperation, envisaged by the Good Friday Agreement, can resume. Those are our objectives, this has always been about achieving those objectives, and I think today they can be achieved."

The joint statement said the leaders discussed the "potential to strengthen bilateral relations, including on Northern Ireland".

"They agreed to reflect further on their discussions and that officials would continue to engage intensively on them," it said.