Theresa May draws up secret plans to scrap the Irish border backstop to win back angry Brexiteers
Groundbreaking new technology that could be used to keep the border invisible is now being studied afresh in No10 as one option to meet the new aim
THERESA May has drawn up a secret plan to scrap the controversial Irish backstop in a bid to win round angry Tory Brexiteers.
It has emerged that the PM has quietly won agreement from the EU to abandon the emergency plan if both sides can agree on “alternative arrangements” to keep the border open.
Ground breaking new technology that could be used to keep the border invisible is now being studied afresh in No10 as one option to meet the new aim.
A technological solution to the border dilemma, known as ‘maximum facilitation’, was initially proposed by former Brexit Secretary David Davis but rejected by Mrs May last summer.
Hardline Tory Brexiteer MPs loathe the current Irish backstop as they fear it could keep the UK within the EU’s customs union for years.
But the PM hopes she may yet be able to regain some of their support for her EU deal if she commits to working up the technological solution in time to avoid the need for any backstop.
Downing Street have held back from publicising the new “alternative arrangements” for fear that Irish politicians will use it to accuse Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of going soft on Mrs May.
A senior No10 source said: “The ‘alternative arrangements’ clause is a big win for us as its another way out of ever having to use the Irish backstop, and it could be a real breakthrough.
“A lot of effort is now going into working up the required technology since it doesn’t exist yet, but if we can get there it could be the magic bullet.”
The little-seen new clause in the 585 page Withdrawal Agreement, published last week, enshrines “the Union’s and the United Kingdom’s intention to replace the backstop solution on Northern Ireland by a subsequent agreement that establishes alternative arrangements for ensuring the absence of a hard border on the island of Ireland on a permanent footing”.
In a promising early sign for No10, a delegation of senior Brexiteers lead by former Tory leader Iain Duncan-Smith, Owen Paterson, Lord Lilley, Lord Trimble went to see the PM last night to discuss the new plan.
The group left No10 tight-lipped, saying only that they had “a constructive meeting”.
The development came as Mrs May prepares to fly to Brussels tomorrow
to take personal charge of the final few days of the negotiations ahead of an EU summit to seal the deal on Sunday.
The PM mounted another passionate defence of her deal yesterday during a speech to the CBI conference.
Her bid to keep the UK aligned with the EU’s rules on goods “unashamedly puts our future economic success, and the livelihoods of working families up and down this country, first”, she insisted.
Mrs May added: “We are not talking about political theory, but the reality of people’s lives and livelihoods. Jobs depend on us getting this right”.
But while the PM won plaudits from business chiefs, her Brexit deal suffered a fresh blow as a second former Tory leader withdrew his support for it.
Lord Howard said it betrayed too many promises to regain control and so “I can’t vote for it”.
Tory backbench grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin also accused the PM of having “impaled herself” on her soft Brexit plan.
Meanwhile, senior EU figures rowed in to help Mrs May win round her angry Tory MPs.
Michel Barnier has urged rebel MPs to accept Theresa May’s deal by telling them it ensures Britain will “take back control” after Brexit.
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In a carefully crafted boost to the PM, the EU’s chief negotiator borrowed Vote Leave’s slogan to talk up the “compromises” he has made.
He was speaking after a two-hour meeting with Europe ministers in Brussels yesterday to thrash out the terms of the deal.
Mr Barnier said: “For the future relationship both the UK and EU will have full control of their own legislation and rule making.
Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney added: “People have underestimated Theresa May over and over again. I think they’re wrong to. She is a very steely, determined person.”
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