Minister Suggests Brexit Withdrawal Agreement May Not Be Reopened

Theresa May might not seek to reopen the Brexit withdrawal agreement as she tries to secure changes to the controversial Irish border backstop, a cabinet minister has suggested in comments which risk infuriating Tory eurosceptics.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright stressed that the “mechanism” to change the backstop does not matter.

But it comes after senior Brexiteer Steve Baker warned in WhatsApp messages leaked to the Sunday Times that anything other than removing the backstop from the withdrawal agreement would see the Tories “just grind towards a party split”.

Brexiteers vehemently oppose the backstop because they fear it could trap Britain permanently in a customs union with the EU, leaving it unable to strike its own free trade deals around the world after Brexit.

They want the withdrawal agreement, which is the legally binding part of the Brexit deal that MPs are being asked to approve, changed to make clear that this will not happen.

But Wright said there may be another way of reassuring Tories that the backstop will not be indefinite without having to reopen the current legal text, suggesting the prime minister could seek a codicil or addendum to the deal.

disputed Irish border backstop, a cabinet minister has suggested in comments which risk infuriating Tory eurosceptics.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright stressed that the “mechanism” to change the backstop does not matter.

But it comes after senior Brexiteer Steve Baker warned in WhatsApp messages leaked to the Sunday Times that anything other than removing the backstop from the withdrawal agreement would see the Tories “just grind towards a party split”.

Brexiteers vehemently oppose the backstop because they fear it could trap Britain permanently in a customs union with the EU, leaving it unable to strike its own free trade deals around the world after Brexit.

They want the withdrawal agreement, which is the legally binding part of the Brexit deal that MPs are being asked to approve, changed to make clear that this will not happen.

But Wright said there may be another way of reassuring Tories that the backstop will not be indefinite without having to reopen the current legal text, suggesting the prime minister could seek a codicil or addendum to the deal.