A Brexit deal has been agreed with the EU, Boris Johnson has confirmed. However the DUP are still not on board.
Jean -Claude Juncker tweeted this morning that: “Where there is a will, there is a #deal – we have one!
“It’s a fair and balanced agreement for the EU and the UK and it is testament to our commitment to find solutions.
“I recommend that #EUCO endorses this deal. “
Tough task
Boris Johnson now faces the tough task getting the agreement through Parliament.
With the Commons expected to sit on Saturday to discuss it – the first weekend session for 37 years – the DUP insisted it still could not yet back the Government’s Brexit plans.
Jayne McCormack, politcal reporter at the BBC tweeted: “DUP MP says they haven’t budged from their stance – meaning PM must think he can get the numbers without his Northern Irish allies… “
Deep regrets
In a letter to Donald Tusk, Mr Juncker said he still “deeply regrets” the outcome of the 2016 referendum but said that the EU was “best served by an orderly and amicable withdrawal of the UK from our union”.
He continued: “The negotiators reached an agreement on a revised Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and on a revised Political Declaration on October 17 2019. Both were endorsed by the European Commission. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom also signalled his approval of these documents to me today.
“I recommend that the European Council endorses the revised Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration at its forthcoming meeting.”
He ended the letter saying: “I have indicated to you in the past that I believe it is high time to complete the withdrawal process and move on, as swiftly as possible, to the negotiation on the European Union’s future partnership with the UK.”
Jeremy Corbyn reacts
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was quick to dismiss the deal.
“From what we know, it seems the Prime Minister has negotiated an even worse deal than Theresa May’s, which was overwhelmingly rejected,” he said.
“These proposals risk triggering a race to the bottom on rights and protections: putting food safety at risk, cutting environmental standards and workers’ rights, and opening up our NHS to a takeover by US private corporations.
“This sell-out deal won’t bring the country together and should be rejected. The best way to get Brexit sorted is to give the people the final say in a public vote.”
Related: DUP refuse to back Johnson’s Brexit plans “as things stand”