Tusk boosts Brexiteer rebels by repeating his offer of a Canada-style deal instead of May’s Chequers plan – but insists he DOES respect Britain despite rejecting the PM’s proposals
- Donald Tusk repeated his offer to Britain of a Canada-style trade deal today
- Idea has been rejected as not good enough by May who has her own plan
- But it adopts the language of her Brexiteer critics who want a simple trade deal
Donald Tusk repeated his offer of a Canada-style trade deal between Britain and the EU today in a boost for Brexiteer rebels against Theresa May.
The EU Council President provocatively insisted he ‘respects’ Britain despite rejecting Mrs May’s Chequers plan and adopting the language of her critics.
A Canada-style deal would leave Britain legally much more distant from the EU than the proposals the Prime Minister has presented – something Brexiteers insist is the whole point of leaving the bloc
But critics say it would offers no solution on the Irish border and risks current trade flows across the English Channel.
Mrs May has said a Canada-style deal is simply not good enough for the UK and wants a bespoke deal to maximise current trade and allow new global trade deals.
Donald Tusk (pictured today in Brussels) repeated his offer of a Canada-style trade deal between Britain and the EU today in a boost for Brexiteer rebels against Theresa May
Speaking alongside Irish PM Leo Varadkar today (pictured) the EU Council President provocatively insisted he ‘respects’ Britain despite rejecting Mrs May’s Chequers plan and adopting the language of her critics
The EU’s rejection of Mrs May’s Chequers plan last month left the PM furious and demanding more ‘respect’ from Brussels.
Speaking alongside Irish PM Leo Varadkar in Brussels today, Mr Tusk said: ‘The EU offer has been not just a Canada deal, but a Canada plus plus plus deal – much further reaching [than the EU-Canada deal] on trade, on internal security and on foreign policy cooperation.
‘This is a true measure of respect and this offer remains in place. The EU is serious about getting the best possible deal, even though we have not changed our mind that the consequences of Brexit will be negative, for both sides.’
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He added: ‘Telling the truth, even if difficult and unpleasant, is the best way of showing respect for partners. That’s how it was in Salzburg, and that’s also how it will work in the coming days.
‘Emotional arguments that stress the issue of dignity sound attractive, but they do not facilitate agreement.
‘Let us remember that every actor in this process has their dignity. And confrontation in this field will not lead to anything good.’
A Canada-style deal would leave Britain legally much more distant from the EU than the proposals the Prime Minister (pictured at conference yesterday) has presented
Mr Tusk suggested Mrs May surviving conference season will make the negotiation easier.
He said: ‘Unacceptable remarks that raise the temperature will achieve nothing except wasting more times. What needs to be done is maximum progress by the October European council.
‘I was [a] party leader myself for 15 years and I know what the rules of party politics are. But now the Tory party conference is over we should get down to business.’
Asked about a Canada-style deal last month, Mrs May insisted it would be worse than a no deal Brexit.
She said: ‘I’ve always said no deal is better than a bad deal, and I think a bad deal, for example, would be something that broke up the United Kingdom. What we’ve put on the table is a good deal.
‘It’s a deal which retains the union of the UK, our constitutional integrity, it’s a deal which provides for no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, protects jobs and enables us to have good trade relationship with Europe and the rest of the world.’
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