RTÉ Europe Editor Tony Connelly; tweet from Mr Connelly
RTÉ Europe Editor Tony Connelly has tweeted that a Brexit deal has been done.
In the past few moments, Mr Connelly told Seán O’Rourke, on RTÉ Radio One:
“A deal has been done. There is a text which has been concluded and we’re expecting a statement from Michel Barnier in the next while.
“But this is extremely important because EU leaders are arriving and, as of five minutes ago, they haven’t got a text to look at. So a text has now been concluded.
“All of the outstanding issues on VAT, consent, customs, everything now, appears to have been concluded.
“But, of course, we don’t know for sure if the DUP are fully satisfied and on board but from the Brussels’ perspective, a deal has been done.”
Asked if he knows if the DUP has accepted the deal or if this is a deal between London and Brussels, Mr Connelly said:
“Well, that’s the nature of these negotiations, it’s a team of British negotiators with a mandate from No 10 Downing Street and a team of EU negotiators with a mandate from the member states.
“So this, one presumes, has gotten over the line on the basis that Downing Street is happy with it. By extension, one assumes that the DUP must be on board. But again we’ve had scenarios in the past where the DUP haven’t been on board so we just have to wait and see how this plays out.”
More as he gets it.
The European Commission has released the above letter from President of the European Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker to President of the European Council Donald Tusk.
UDPATE:
BREAKING: EU-UK reach agreement on Brexit deal (RTÉ)
UPDATE:
UDPATE:
Chief Brexit Negotiator for the European Union Michel Barnier holds a press conference on this morning’s developments.
UPDATE:
The revised withdrawal agreement can be read here
at the cost of no abortion or gay marriage in the North for years to come
and creationism in schools
It may take some time for this comment to appear as I’m still on the bold step for some reason so someone may make it already but anyway.
“a team of British negotiators with a mandate from No 10 Downing Street and a team of EU negotiators with a mandate from the member states.So this, one presumes, has gotten over the line on the basis that Downing Street is happy with it.”
How is that in any way different to the situation with the original Withdrawal Agreement? I know this is just tweaking the original WA for optics and all but unless the British Dáil votes in favour of it this is just deckchair shuffling while the DUP keep the ship firmly pointed at the iceberg.
True. But what has changed is that BJ no longer needs the DUP to ensure a majority in the Parliament. He has lost any potential majority so the DUP are now as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle.
This would need cross party support.
Remember BJ finally managed to win a vote in Parliament. It was his eighth attempt since becoming prime minister but finally managed it. So he can build on that success.
(It may take some time for this comment to appear as I’m still on the bold step for some reason so someone may have responded already.)
He didn’t win any vote on this proposed WA.
Extreme whipping you say? The DUP will enjoy that.
One can foster a liking for all sorts of peculiar pass-times!
oh yea? is she partial to a bit of piggy play too?
…horrah…I was wrong*…a Brexit deal has been agreed…bungling Boris is the new champion of democracy…
*Still not tearing up my betting slip that Art50 will be revoked and the dreary status quo will be restored…yawn…
Wow, a whole, what, two days to examine a deal that will shape the future of the UK? I love the idea that Brexit will then be ‘done.’ Disaster capitalists must be salivating.
“…a team of British negotiators with a mandate from No 10 Downing Street …”
I do hope they’re called plenipotentiaries.
I’d love if they were called the Bay City Rollers 2.0
Well we sang shang-a-lang
And we ran with the gang
Doin’ doo wop be dooby do ay YAY!
We were all in the news with our blue suede shoes
And our dancin’ the night away
any excuse – especially with the grimey_grungy_another_week_away_from_the_clocks_going_back_Bank_Holiday_Weekend_weather
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8py1wRTli8
Go on
Click through everyone
It’ll change your mood
Ulster says No still has a ring to it!
Ah yes,the backstop.
I remember it well.
You have to feel sorry for all those ” friends of Boris ” City types who the conspiritorialsts claimed were shorting the pound because the Prime Minister was determined to push the UK into a No Deal Brexit.
Rather like the clowns on here saying Varadkar and the EU would never abandon the backstop.
They seem rather quiet today.
Ireland and UK reached a compromise to suit both of them in spite of and not because of the EU.It should have happend nearly four years ago.
No, you are quite wrong on all counts there, but please do carry on!
The backstop hasn’t been abandoned which is why goods coming from GB into the EU through Northern Ireland will be subject to customs as they enter Northern Ireland and not as they pass from Northern Ireland into Ireland.
The original proposal for a backstop, supposedly Cast Iron and Politically bulletproof, has been abandoned in this new proposed WA.
Not the red line obviously that the big swinging michéals tried to lead us to believe it was.
Currently these new WA and Backstop are still proposals. They still have to be passed by the UK parliament so ay the.moment a WA still doesn’t exist.
No, it has not been abandoned. The Withdrawal Agreement has been amended so that GB is not part of the EU Customs Union and, while it states that Northern Ireland is part of the UK customs union,it also clearly puts customs checks on entry to Northern Ireland which means there is no customs border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. This was the original Northern Ireland only backstop which was amended to include the entire UK to appease the DUP. Now the DUP, rather than Ireland, are being thrown under the bus to allow Boris try to get a deal through the British Dáil by October 31st.
So, if a company consigns goods from GB to NI only, then there are no customs duties nor VAT at point if entry.
And then a couple if weeks later the NI company consigns them to SI ( :_) ) in a new transaction and that is also free of duty and VAT, doesn’t the final result mean that the GB goods have ended up in the EU without any duty or VAT?
Did you not read the text of the amendments to the Withdrawal Agreement?
Article 5
Customs, movement of goods
1. No customs duties shall be payable for a good brought into Northern Ireland from another part of the United Kingdom by direct transport, notwithstanding paragraph 3, unless that good is at risk of subsequently being moved into the Union, whether by itself or forming part of another good following processing.
2. … Before the end of the transition period, the Joint Committee shall by decision establish the criteria for considering that a good brought into Northern Ireland from outside the Union is not at risk of subsequently being moved into the Union.
And they still claim Sasamach was about getting away from EU red tape.
My understanding is that if a company consigns goods from GB to NI not at risk of subsequently being moved into the Union. then there are no customs duties nor VAT at point if entry.
If, a couple of weeks later, the NI company moves them into the EU then they are in breach of UK and EU laws.
Could they do this? Yes. Is it illegal? Yes.
So, therefore, the arrangement is a joke.
Coco the Clown still thinks there such a thing called the backstop.
It’s gone loser.
Quick! I think I hear a goat trip-trapping over your bridge!
According to (Cast Iron and Politically Bulletproof) Varadkar himself, the proposed backstop is gone, and now has been replaced. There never was a backstop. And in the coming weeks, you’ll also see the disintegration of the sound bites of today.
Had to laugh at Meehawl Martin – he asked if this had been Theresa May’s deal, would we be in a different situation now?
So off point and irrelevant.
Ha
I’d say Regina is greener than Shrek right now
And on this one occasion / event
Hon’ Helen girl
Make her sweat
+1
Latest photo of Arlene walking from downing street. https://youtube.com/watch?v=42hlEGCCAg8