Boris Johnson news: Leo Varadkar says Brexit deal is ‘possible’ by end of October after crunch talks with PM
Follow how the day in Westminster unfolded
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar have met for private talks on The Wirral and have agreed there is a “pathway” to a possible Brexit agreement.
It comes as Andrea Leadsom suggested the PM could send a second letter to the EU explaining he does not want any Brexit delay, alongside the letter asking for an Article 50 extension required by the Benn Act.
England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies, meanwhile, has warned that people could die as a result of a no-deal Brexit.
“There may be deaths,” she said.
Jeremy Corbyn has attacked Donald Trump's response to the case of a young British man killed in a hit-and-run accident, accusing the US president of "the most crass, insensitive comment anyone could ever make".
The death of 19-year-old Harry Dunn in Northamptonshire in late August is at the centre of a row between the US and UK after it emerged that the main suspect is the wife of a US diplomat, who therefore has diplomatic immunity.
Anne Sacoolas, who is alleged to have been driving on the wrong side of the road when the young motorcyclist was killed, returned to the US despite telling local police she had no such plans.
Press conference from Leo Varadkar will be taking place in around 15 mins. We'll bring you any highlights.
ith just 21 days remaining, Boris Johnson appears to be on course for a resounding failure in delivering on his pledge to end the UK’s membership of the European Union by 31 October.
Despite unveiling his plans to Brussels last week at the climax of the Conservative Party conference, the UK and the EU are no closer to reaching a fresh agreement.
Significantly, Leo Varadkar has just described the meeting with Boris Johnson as "positive" and adds he sees a "pathway to a deal in the coming weeks".
The Irish PM says he hopes a deal can be reached by the EU council summit next week, and that negotiations can continue
"We had a good discussion looking forward on how our relationship will look after Brexit," he says.
"It it is possible to come to an agreement to have a treaty agreed to allow the UK to leave the EU in an orderly fashion and to have that done by the end of October."
↵
A Conservative Party branch has apologised after it shared a social media post which said people with mental health problems should be “neutered”.
The tweet, which has subsequently been deleted, was supposed to support the government’s “Every Mind Matters” campaign.
But a typo by Islington Conservatives meant instead of writing “nurtured” they wrote “neutered”.
Kezia Dugdale, the former Scottish Labour leaeder, has quit the party over its Brexit stance, according to the BBC.
She reportedly terminated her membership in July shortly after standing down as an MSP.
Labour MPs have made "dozens of phone calls" to Jeremy Corbyn demanding him to throw his weight behind a fresh Brexit referendum before a general election, Rob Merrick, The Independent's deputy political editor, reports:
Scotland's government has undermined the Brexit process so it can "smash up the United Kingdom", Michael Gove has claimed.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was speaking after a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) in Edinburgh.
He said: "The overriding policy of the SNP is to smash up the United Kingdom and separate families.
"I sometimes wonder if, not just in rhetoric but in policy, the SNP is not thinking in the interests of Scottish citizens first, but are thinking in the interest of their own agenda.
"These issues are far too important to be politicised in that way and I hope that the wiser voices in the Scottish government prevail in order to ensure that people do act where they need to act, in order to make sure that the sovereign decision that the United Kingdom's electorate came to is honoured."
He also added that the SNP promised in 2014 there would not be another referendum on independence, saying he would "take them at their word".
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments