Boris Johnson news: EU agrees Brexit deal as parliament clears way for second referendum vote
PM faces Commons battle to gain approval from MPs
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Boris Johnson has said he is “very confident” MPs will want to back his Brexit deal after UK and EU officials secured an agreement at a critical summit in Brussels.
But the prime minister’s DUP allies poured cold water on his hopes of progress by declaring they will oppose the plan – leaving Mr Johnson scrambling to find votes elsewhere.
The PM faces an uphill struggle to get his deal approved at an historic Commons sitting this Saturday.
MPs have won a key parliamentary vote paving the way for a bid to secure a second referendum on Saturday.
Senior Labour party figures, such as John McDonnell, have strongly criticised the agreement.
“The more people examine text of Johnson deal, the more you realise what a sell out deal it is,” Mr McDonnell said on Twitter.
“It’s not just the DUP, he’s sold out virtually every sector of our economy & all those who may have voted to leave believing a deal could be secured that protected their jobs.”
European leaders unanimously endorsed the proposal on Thursday and formally sent it to the British parliament.
“This is a great deal for our country. I also believe it’s a very good deal for our friends in the EU,” Mr Johnson told reporters in Brussels.
“There is a very good case for MPs across the House of Commons to express the democratic will of the people, as we have pledged many times to do and to get Brexit done.”
If you would like to see how the day’s events unfolded, please see what was our live coverage below:
German chancellor Angela Merkel said an agreement on Brexit is still possible but has not yet been reached.
She told the German parliament: “We’re on a better path than before, but we have not yet reached the goal.”
Merkel gave a speech in the Reichstag before travelling to Brussels to attend the EU summit on Brexit.
She stressed that an “agreement is still possible”, which is “why we need to continue to do everything to bring the negotiations to a successful end”.
Angela Merkel speaks to Bundestag members (Getty)
BREAKING: A senior EU official has said there will be no Brexit negotiations with Boris Johnson at the two-day leaders’ summit beginning today in Brussels.
The bloc has not yet received the text of an agreement, said the same official, but the EU remains “patient” and “zen”.
There will be no negotiations between the UK and the EU today. So where does that leave the chances of a deal being struck this month?
According to our Europe correspondent Jon Stone, legal ratification by the end of October “may be impossible” now.
Cabinet members leave 10 Downing Street
Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg and Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay have now left Downing Street.
Senior cabinet members were seen entering No 10 shortly before 9am.
On the way to his car, Rees-Mogg, seen talking on his phone as he went in, joked “ants can run at 300 miles per hour, but photographers can run faster”, as photographers chased him.
Jacob Rees-Mogg enters No 10 (Reuters)
Ulster Unionist Party’s leader-in-waiting backs Remain
The man set to become the next leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has signalled that he would adopt a pro-Remain position on Brexit.
Steven Aiken, who is the only candidate declared in the contest to replace outgoing Robin Swann, said Boris Johnson’s proposed deal would be worse than a hard Brexit for the region.
His comments mark a potentially significant shift for the UUP, and would create clear blue water between its position and that of its Brexiteer unionist rivals the DUP.
The UUP campaigned for Remain in the referendum but, after the result, subsequently advocated for leaving with a deal, insisting the 2016 vote had to be respected.
Aiken told the Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster: “This has been a disaster for Northern Ireland, the only way we can really get out of this is to stay.
“For people in Northern Ireland it is very clear - Boris Johnson’s deal is bad for us, the best thing for us in many respects is to stay in.”
Brexit deal finally done?
Reports coming through that a Brexit deal has been done – which presumably means the DUP have relented on the remaining sticking points.
BREAKING: Brexit deal is now done, says Jean Claude-Juncker
Wow. Jean Claude-Juncker has confirmed the reports: a Brexit agreement has been reached.
Boris Johnson hails Brexit breakthrough
Boris Johnson said a “great new” Brexit deal had been agreed “that takes back control”.
DUP still not backing Brexit deal
Despite the apparent breakthrough, the agreement has still not received DUP support. As our deputy political editor Rob Merrick suggests, Boris Johnson is trying to “bounce” them into backing the deal forged with the EU.
A DUP spokesperson says the position “hasn’t changed”.
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