More than 200 British MPs from across the political divide have signed a letter urging UK Prime Minister Theresa May to rule out a no-deal Brexit.
MPs return to Westminster today with the Mrs May insisting next week’s vote on the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement will go ahead.
It remains unclear if Mrs May will be able to win the required level of support to get the deal passed – with the DUP and many ‘Leave’ supporters insisting they will not back the deal as it stands.
Debates on the deal are due to resume on Wednesday and Mrs May has warned her colleagues that the country will enter 'unchartered territory' if it is rejected.
The vote is expected to take place next week.
The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with members of the German CDU political party in Bavaria, Germany, 04-01-0218. Image: Lino Mirgeler/dpa
Speaking from his visit to Mali, West Africa, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the ongoing dispute was a matter of internal British Politics but said Irish officials will be monitoring the situation very closely in the coming days.
“Brexit all started because of internal issues in British politics and now it seems that internal problems in British politics are preventing us, at the moment at least, from ratifying the withdrawal agreement,” he said.
“An agreement which has the support of 28 governments including the UKs own government.
“We are just going to monitor the situation very closely.
“We will be in touch with Prime Minster May; I obviously had been in touch with Chancellor Merkel only the other day and with the EU institutions.”
A view of directional signs erected on the runway at the former Manston Airport site in Kent, UK, 06-01-2018. Image: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire/PA Images
Meanwhile, all sides are ramping up their preparations for a no deal situation.
In the UK, 150 lorries are taking part in a test to see how Britain could cope if the lack of a deal leads to disruption at its borders.
The test will see if Manston airfield near the coastal town of Ramsgate could act as a mass "HGV holding facility" to avoid queues on major roads.
Julian Keet, who runs haulier Laser Transport International said he does not think it will work because of the roads leading to it.
“You have got a large part of it which is a single carriageway road in each direction and all it takes is for congestion to happen; minor accidents to happen; Vehicle breakdown and we that time and time again on British roads,” he said.
Meanwhile, David Zaccheo from the haulage firm Alcaline UK limited said there is real concern that vehicles will be “stranded in queues and will not be able to source their parts for days on end.”
