This is from Sir Craig Oliver, David Cameron’s former communications chief.
Craig Oliver@CraigOliver100
I suspect @BorisJohnson and his team think they have the numbers to pass the deal without the DUP – but even if they don’t, they get to run a populist election campaign, which should be enough. But it’s so volatile a change of just a few points could be disastrous.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, welcomed the Brexit deal as he arrived at the EU summit earlier, but stressed that it still had to get through the UK and EU parliaments.
“Based on past experience we have to be reasonably cautious,” he said.
Emmanuel Macron arriving at the EU summit. Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images
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As the EU summit got underway, Boris Johnson went around the table greeting each leader in turn. He laughed and joked with Merkel and Macron, and hugged Luxembourg’s Xavier Bettel, who had made fun of Johnson for not attending a news conference. All’s well that ends well? #Brexit
Left to right: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, Boris Johnson, German chancellor Angela Merkel and Irish taoiseach (PM) Leo Varadkar at the EU summit Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA
Here is Katya Adler, the BBC’s Europe editor, on Jean-Claude Juncker’s comments.
katya adler
✔@BBCkatyaadler
Jean Claude Juncker quoted all over UK media as saying – “there will be no extension” BUT this is said a) To help Boris Johnson sell a deal back home in the UK that the EU has no appetite to renegotiate once again .. /1
b) Mr Juncker would love the Brexit process to be done and dusted during his presidency which is drawing to a close -as part of his legacy (which has to an extent been blighted by the 2016 Brexit vote) BUT /2
Also Jean Claude Juncker does not have legal power to rule out extension. It’s a member state decision. It’s hard to imagine 27 EU countries categorically ruling out an extension while at this summit … before they know if one might be necessary eg to get this deal passed /3
Saying “no extension is necessary” in order to keep up pressure on MPs, encouraging them to focus their minds ahead of vote in Parliament is one thing BUT but after 3 years of Brexit process and two attempts at an EU-UK Brexit deal… /4
I can’t imagine Angela Merkel for example turning round + saying “no extra time” even if deal is rejected in HoC, there’s a general election or a referendum on this deal, for example /5
A flat no to the idea of an extension at this stage could mean ushering in the no deal Brexit that EU leaders have been so so so keen to avoid. It’s not a move you’d expect from the EU! /6
Manufacturing Northern Ireland has given a “guarded welcome” the Brexit agreement saying it “removes the risk of a catastrophic no deal” but raises concerns about the administrative and financial burden on the new arrangements that will apply on some trade into Northern Ireland.
If it is approved, expect Northern Ireland business to be looking for substantial help on both points – the paperwork and costs – from London.
Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI’s chief executive, said:
What is good is that a deal is struck, we can move on to the more positive conversation about the future relationship and regardless Northern Ireland can continue to have tariff free, quota free access to both the UK and the EU’s single market.
More on the significance of Jean-Claude Juncker’s comments about the EU not agreeing to a further Brexit extension.
These are from Sky’s Lewis Goodall.
Lewis Goodall(@lewis_goodall)
About to get on a plane back but just on Juncker’s words on extension. EU source says: “It’s not in his gift to rule it out, he is just defending the deal and saying one shouldn’t be needed…I am 100% certain EU27 would permit an extension if deal falls on Saturday.”
Clearly that’s not to say this isn’t helpful for Number 10, it is. Shows Commission wants this done, no mean feat they’re working with Downing St given relations were previously so cold. But highly highly doubtful that if deal goes down it means no extension.
Folks point out that decision on Brexit extension not down to @JunckerEU but a EU council decision. True….but I think he knew exactly what he was saying and its a big help for Team Johnson.
‘There will be no prolongation’ – What Juncker said about not allowing an extension
This is what Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European commission, said about ruling out a Brexit extension. He was speaking to reporters on the “red carpet” where leaders speak to journalists as they arrive for the summit.
Asked if he thought the deal would pass parliament, he said: “It has to.”
Then he added:
Anyway, there will be no prolongation.
He went on:
We have concluded a deal. So there is not an argument for delay. It has to be done now.
Asked by another journalist if he would rule out an extension if Boris Johnson asked for that, Juncker replied:
I gave a brief doorstop with Boris Johnson … half an hour ago and I was ruling out that there will be any kind of prolongation. If we have a deal, we have a deal, and there is no need for prolongation. That is not only the British view; that is my view too.
Asked again if he would officially rule out an extension, he replied:
Yes. We have a deal. So why should we have a prolongation?
But, as my colleague Jennifer Rankin points out, it is questionable whether, in practice, the EU27 would rule out another extension if the alternative were no deal.
Jennifer Rankin(@JenniferMerode)
Not surprising that Jean-Claude Juncker wants to quash talk of an extension. EU dearly wants Brexit over and done with.
In reality, if UK asked for delay, under Benn Act, hard to see that the EU would say no.
EU will not grant any further extension, says Juncker, implying MPs must choose between this deal and no deal
Jean-Claude Juncker, the European commission president, has said the EU will not grant another Brexit extension.
This is hugely significant, because, if the rest of the EU27 agree – and it is not clear yet whether he is speaking on their behalf – it means MPs will effectively be faced with a choice between this deal and no deal.
Sinn Fein has welcomed Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. In a statement its president, Mary Lou McDonald, said:
I welcome the fact that an agreement has been reached between the European Union and the British government.
There is no such thing as a good Brexit. Brexit is being foisted on the north of Ireland against the democratic wishes of the people.
As a party, Sinn Féin has worked to defend Irish interests from the worst impacts of Brexit.
It was Sinn Féin who first made the case for a ‘designated special status for the north within the EU’ and it was Sinn Féin who insisted on the protection of the Good Friday agreement and no hard border on the island of Ireland as bottom lines.
We have also insisted that no veto can be given to unionism.
But she also said any deal was a “least worst option” that would “only mitigate the worst effects of Brexit”.
Boris Johnson has just given a brief statement to the press at the EU summit alongside Jean-Claude Juncker, the European commission president. Juncker said the deal was fair and balanced. He said:
This is a fair, a balanced agreement. It is testament to our commitment to finding solutions. It provides certainty where Brexit creates uncertainty.
And Johnson said this was a very good deal for both sides. He said:
I do think this deal represents a very good deal for the EU and the UK.
I think it is a reasonable, fair outcome and reflects the large amount of work undertaken by both sides …
I agree very much with Jean-Claude about what he said about protecting the peace process on the island of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Of course, for us in the UK it means we can deliver a real Brexit that achieves our objectives.
It means the UK leaves whole and entire on 31 October and it means that Northern Ireland and every part of the UK can take part in not just free trade deals, offering our tariffs, exporting our goods around the world, but it also means we can take, together as a single United Kingdom, decisions about our future – our laws, our borders, our money and how we want to run the UK.
Those decisions will be taken in the UK by elected representatives of the people in the UK.
Jean-Claude Juncker (right) and Boris Johnson at the EU summit. Photograph: François Lenoir/Reuters
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