“I don’t see any other choices.”
Posted By: March 23, 2019
Billy Foley. Irish News. Belfast. Saturday, March 23, 2019
DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds has said it was “inexcusable” for Theresa May to fail to secure changes to her Brexit deal – including the Northern Ireland backstop – at the summit in Brussels.
“The prime minister missed an opportunity at the EU Council to put forward proposals which could have improved the prospects of an acceptable Withdrawal Agreement and help unite the country,” he said.
“That failure is all the more disappointing and inexcusable given the clear divisions and arguments which became evident amongst EU member states when faced with outcomes they don’t like,” Mr. Dodds, pictured, said.
“Nothing has changed as far as the Withdrawal Agreement is concerned. We will not accept any deal which poses a long-term risk to the constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom.”
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has denied the extension offered by the EU to the UK is an example of the rolling cliff-edge Brexit scenario.
Asked whether the EU was in the midst of a rolling exit, he replied: “It’s not. There won’t be further extensions.
“We’ve set out now what the timeline is and in many ways, the European Union has taken control of the timeline which in the past had been set by the UK.”
The Taoiseach said the choices on offer were now “very obvious.”
“It’s this agreement; no deal; or the Parliament taking indicative votes for a much ser long-term relationship with the EU which would allow the joint political declaration aspect of the withdrawal package to be amended,” he said.
“I don’t see any other choices.”
