Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster
The head of the Northern Irish party that props up British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative government regards a no-deal Brexit as the "likeliest outcome", according to a leaked email seen by The Observer newspaper.
The newspaper said Arlene Foster told Ashley Fox, leader of Conservative Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), over a dinner last week of her disappointment at a meeting with Michel Barnier, the French official leading the European Union's negotiating team.
"She described Barnier as being difficult and hostile in her meeting today," the leaked email cited by The Observer said. “AF said the DUP were ready for a no deal scenario, which she now believed was the likeliest one."
The Observer said it was one of several emails it had seen that had been "leaked from the highest levels of government".
The head of the Northern Irish party that props up British Prime Minister Theresa May's government said on Saturday she would prefer no Brexit deal to a bad deal, describing current plans as amounting to "the annexation of Northern Ireland" by the EU.British and European Union negotiators this month have accelerated the push for a Brexit deal but talks remain snagged on the issue of the border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and the Irish Republic, an EU member state.In the absence of a comprehensive EU-UK trade partnership after Brexit, the EU is seeking a "backstop" arrangement whereby Northern Ireland would effectively remain subject to the bloc's regulations to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.But the DUP, whose support May needs to pass legislation in the British parliament, vehemently opposes any proposals under which the province would be treated differently to the rest of the UK."I fully appreciate the risks of a 'no deal' (Brexit) but the dangers of a bad deal are worse," Foster wrote in an article in the Belfast Telegraph published on Saturday."This backstop arrangement would not be temporary. It would be the permanent annexation of Northern Ireland away from the rest of the United Kingdom and forever leave us subject to rules made in a place where we have no say," she added.Britain wants any 'backstop' arrangement to be time-limited. Hardline supporters of Brexit in May's ruling Conservative Party fear it could be used to keep the whole UK inside a customs union indefinitely with the EU.The EU is opposed to any specific cut-off date.EU's Barnier calls for 'decisive progress' on Brexit for summit next weekEU's commissioner says 'we are not there yet' on BrexitNo GameFoster said her party, which has 10 lawmakers in the UK parliament, was not bluffing in its tough stance on the talks."This is no game. Anyone engaging in this in a light-hearted way foolishly fails to grasp the gravity of the decisions we will make in the coming weeks," Foster said."The coming days, weeks and months will be critical. The decisions taken will shape the type of Northern Ireland that our grandchildren will live in."Foster said she wanted to secure a deal that would work for both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and said she would travel to Dublin for talks on Monday.In an article in another Northern Ireland newspaper, the Belfast News Letter, former British foreign minister Boris Johnson also took aim at the backstop, describing May's agreement to accept a backstop as a "dreadful mistake"."The only way to put things back on the right track is to ditch the backstop...," Johnson wrote.As Brexit talks progress, UK PM May struggles to find support at homeUnder pressure from parliamentary partner, UK's May meets ministersTony Blair says UK needs a referendum to stop Brexit
DUP leader prefers no Brexit deal to EU 'annexation' of Northern Ireland
Brexit hardliner Boris Johnson, a former British foreign minister, called on Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday to rebuff the European Union's demand for a special "backstop" deal to avoid a hard border in Ireland after Brexit."The only way to put things back on the right track is to ditch the backstop and then to chuck Chequers," Johnson wrote in an article for the Belfast News Letter, referring to a set of proposals formulated in July at May's Chequers country retreat.Johnson resigned over the Chequers plan, which envisages maintaining close ties with the EU on trade in goods after Brexit. As Brexit talks progress, UK PM May struggles to find support at home
Boris Johnson calls for PM May to ditch Brexit border backstop
British Prime Minister Theresa May was struggling on Friday to find consensus on Brexit proposals that would be acceptable to her ministers, her Conservative Party and the Northern Irish lawmakers who prop up her minority government.Brexit negotiations with the European Union have accelerated and become more positive over the past week, though significant hurdles remain, finance minister Philip Hammond said."What has happened over the last week, 10 days, is that there has been a measurable change in pace," he told the BBC."But that shouldn't conceal the fact that we still have some big differences left to resolve," Hammond said. "So process is a lot more positive this week - substance still very challenging."Under pressure from parliamentary partner, UK's May meets ministersWith less than six months to go until the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU, May is seeking to rally support at home on the details of a divorce deal though it is unclear if she can win parliament's approval for any agreement.British and EU negotiators are making headway on the Irish border issue, the biggest hurdle to an overall agreement, and hope for a Brexit deal breakthrough on Monday, diplomats said.The Irish border "backstop", which seeks a way to avoid customs checks on the frontier between the British province of Northern Ireland and Ireland if there is no overall exit deal, has become the biggest sticking point in negotiations.As both sides seek to clinch a deal, the United Kingdom will publish on Friday more of its so-called technical notices which lay out the impact of a no-deal Brexit on specific sectors of the economy.Tony Blair says UK needs a referendum to stop BrexitDEAL OR NO-DEAL?May's Northern Irish supporters vehemently oppose any checks between the province and mainland Britain after Brexit.The head of the Democratic Unionist Party, Arlene Foster, said May "could not in good conscience" back an EU proposal for checks on goods being imported to Northern Ireland from Britain after Brexit.Under May's proposals, the whole of the United Kingdom would forge a customs partnership with the EU after a transition period ends in December 2020 in the event of the backstop being triggered.Some of May's ministers have urged her to put a time limit on that plan.The Times newspaper said May was warned the issue was so serious that she could face further cabinet resignations unless she found a way to ensure the backstop was not permanent.Speaking to Northern Ireland journalists at her Downing Street office, May said on Thursday that talks on the Irish backstop were likely to continue until November. 
As Brexit talks progress, UK PM May struggles to find support at home