|
|
The pound rose on Mr Raab’s claim that he expects a deal to be finalised by November 21, adding: “The end is now firmly in sight and, while obstacles remain, it cannot be beyond us to navigate them.”
Mr Raab, in a letter to MPs on the Commons Brexit committee, said that he would be willing to give evidence to the panel once a deal was finalised.
He said that he currently expected “November 21 to be suitable”. That would confirm that Britain is looking to conclude a deal at a special European Council meeting in mid-November, allowing Theresa May to seek approval for the package from MPs before Christmas. [...]
The minister also said that the EU had accepted Britain’s proposal for a partial solution to the vexed question of a “backstop” plan to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland.
“We agree on the principle of a UK-wide customs backstop,” he wrote, referring to Britain’s plan to keep the whole of the UK — including Northern Ireland — in the customs union until a final trade deal was in place.
Full article on Financial Times (subscription requried)