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Tusk warns rejection of Brexit deal will see "no deal or no Brexit at all"

The European Council President has warned that the current Brexit deal is the only one on the tab...
Newstalk
Newstalk

15.08 30 Nov 2018


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Tusk warns rejection of Brexit...

Tusk warns rejection of Brexit deal will see "no deal or no Brexit at all"

Newstalk
Newstalk

15.08 30 Nov 2018


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The European Council President has warned that the current Brexit deal is the only one on the table.

Speaking at the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Donald Tusk said the EU is “prepared for every scenario” – but warned that there is no alternative to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement accepted by EU leaders and the British Cabinet.

It remains unclear if the British Prime Minister Theresa May will be able to convince the UK Parliament to back the deal in a crunch vote on December 11th.

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“A few days before the vote in the House of Commons, it is becoming more and more clear that this deal is the best possible,” said Mr Tusk. “In fact, [it is] the only possible one.”

“If this deal is rejected in the Commons we are left with, as was already stressed a few weeks ago by Prime Minister May, an alternative: no deal or no Brexit at all. 

“I want to reassure you that the EU is prepared for every scenario.”

Crunch vote

In an interview with BBC meanwhile, Mrs May insisted she can win the Parliamentary vote – despite the opposition of many of her Tory colleagues.

She urged MPs to “to put the national interest first and put the interest of their constituents at the forefront of their thinking,” noting that “this is a vote that will deliver Brexit for the British people; It is our duty to deliver Brexit for the British people.”

“This is the moment when we can vote and show people that we understood; they want us to leave the European Union,” she said.

“The deal that is on the table [...] does that in a way that honours that referendum vote but also protects people’s jobs, protects people’s futures and ensures that we are able to take the opportunities of that bright future outside the European Union.”

Second chance

She also refused to rule out calling a second vote Parliamentary vote if the deal is rejected.

She is not permitted to ask MPs the same question twice – however, if enough politicians indicated that they had changed their minds, the House Speaker could decide to allow a second vote.

"Huge challenge"

On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin acknowledged that Mrs May is facing a "huge challenge" in getting the agreement over the line and warned that people in Ireland and England are becoming anxious as the vote looms.

"The problem remains the uncertainty in British politics... and we're not experts on what will transpire in Westminster," he said.

He said Fianna Fáil will make no move to pull down the Government in Ireland while uncertainty over the UKs withdrawal from the EU remains.


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