Britain, EU reach draft Brexit deal

London, November 14 

British Prime Minister Theresa May hailed her draft European Union divorce deal on Wednesday but must convince ministers to back her plan amid open hostility from some of her own members of Parliament who say it threatens the United Kingdom’s unity.

Her minority government means May is the weakest British leader in a generation, yet she must try to get her Brexit deal, struck after more than a year of talks with the EU, approved by Parliament before leaving the bloc on March 29, 2019.

“I’m confident that this takes us significantly closer to delivering on what the British people voted for in the referendum,” May told Parliament. Britons voted 52-48 percent in favour of leaving the EU in 2016.

EU sources said the draft accord envisaged a July 2020 decision on what would have to be done to safeguard an open Irish border after the post-Brexit transition runs its course if a new trade deal is not in place. EU leaders could meet on November 25 for a summit to seal the Brexit deal,  Irish PM Leo Varadkar said. — Reuters