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

 

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30 thoughts on “Deal Done

  1. ReproBertie

    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.

    1. Cian

      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.)

  2. bisted

    …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…

  3. Nigel

    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.

  4. ivan

    “…a team of British negotiators with a mandate from No 10 Downing Street …”

    I do hope they’re called plenipotentiaries.

    1. V

      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

  5. Jimbo

    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.

  6. ReproBertie

    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.

    1. GiggidyGoo

      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.

      1. ReproBertie

        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.

    2. GiggidyGoo

      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?

      1. ReproBertie

        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.

      2. Cian

        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.

      1. GiggidyGoo

        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.

  7. Spaghetti Hoop

    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.

  8. V

    Ha
    I’d say Regina is greener than Shrek right now

    And on this one occasion / event

    Hon’ Helen girl
    Make her sweat

Comments are closed.

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