UK must budge for Brexit breakthrough: Barnier

The European Union’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier yesterday said Prime Minister Theresa should endorse a permanent customs union with the bloc — as proposed by the opposition Labour party — to break the impasse over their looming divorce.Barnier told a news conference in Luxembourg that time was “extremely short” to conclude a deal before Britain is due to leave the bloc on March 29.The EU is urging May to work with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to unlock ratification of the withdrawal agreement she negotiated with Brussels.British lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected the deal, agreed in November, in a vote last month, leaving Britain on course for an abrupt Brexit with no transition period to minimise expected economic disruption.“I found Corbyn’s letter interesting in tone and in content,” Barnier said of the Labour leader’s Brexit proposals, sent to May. “Something has to give on the British side.”In a reply to Corbyn published by May’s office late on Sunday, she rejected the idea of a customs union, saying Britain must be able to strike its own trade deals after Brexit.Barnier said he understood May did not want to delay Brexit to win more negotiating time and reiterated the controversial Irish border fix in Britain’s stalled withdrawal agreement was an insurance policy the EU hoped never to use.“This time that remains is extremely short,” Barnier told the joint news conference with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.”The withdrawal agreement which we agreed with Theresa May’s government...remains the best way to ensure an orderly withdrawal of the UK.”Barnier said it was up to London to provide clarity on what next — a view shared by Bettel.“We never pushed for Brexit, we never demanded Brexit,” Bettel said. “The responsibility started in London and is still in London.”Barnier reiterated the bloc would not return to talks on the legal withdrawal treaty but could tweak the accompanying political declaration on EU-UK ties after Brexit.“We are determined to organise an orderly withdrawal.  This orderly withdrawal is the prerequisite that we need to build a... future relationship,” he said.Another EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said last week that the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, had directly advised May to take a look at the Corbyn plan.May will make a statement today to update lawmakers on her talks to win changes to the Brexit deal, her spokesman said yesterday, before parliament votes on her next steps.“The PM will be making a statement to the House (of Commons) today and that will be an update on Brexit talks and is in advance of the debate taking place on Thursday,” he told reporters.