Brexit deal still “far away” — EU’s Juncker

But the remarks by Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, exposed the deep chasm that remains between the two sides on certain key sticking points such as the Irish border.

Businessman John Caudwell, a Brexit supporter who founded the company Phones 4U, believes it’s the wrong deal for Britain.

If MPs rejected the Brexit deal, or no final deal was reached by January 21 next year, the government must table a statement on how it wants to proceed, and Parliament could use the vote that would take place on this as an opportunity to call for a referendum.

In a signal that the United Kingdom would not deviate from its course, Mrs May stressed there would not be a fresh vote on the Brexit process.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who is hosting the event, said that both sides needed to compromise.

And she pressed her message home in an article written in Germany’s Die Welt daily newspaper for publication on Wednesday. “I’d like to finalize them still this autumn”, he said.

But May has shown little sign of backing away from her “Chequers” plan.

A major summit planned in Brussels for October 18 is being treated as the last chance at a concrete deal for Brexit, which is supposed to go into effect on April 1. Brussels has baulked at May’s proposals for a future customs arrangement and for Northern Ireland. But the latter must be dealt with as part and parcel of the withdrawal accord.

He reminded the British, however, that the checks were the result of their decision to leave not only the EU but also the single market and the customs union.

Tusk said that went for the UK’s readiness to work closely with the European Union on security and foreign policy after Brexit but stressed that Chequers proposals from premier Theresa May for the future Irish border and economic cooperation between the European Union and Britain “will need to reworked and further negotiated”.

Tusk said he would call an additional summit in mid-November to seal any deal with Britain.

According to extracts released ahead of Mr Davis’s speech in Munich, he will say: “We have been told that the Chequers proposal fulfils what the British people voted for”.

The UK trade body will today meet with EU representatives in Brussels to highlight the economic importance of the integrated European automotive industry and set out the repercussions for businesses, economies and jobs if a deal can not be struck.

The Northern Irish party that props up May’s minority government in parliament dismissed Barnier’s comments.

And he said: “Chequers is devoid of democracy altogether”.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told reporters before the dinner that there had been no advance on the issue: “I don’t think we’re any closer to a withdrawal agreement than we were in March, so I can’t report any progress, unfortunately”.

European Union officials are minded not to paint May into a corner, aware that she faces increasing opposition to her plans in her Conservative Party and needs a victory of sorts to persuade a reluctant parliament to back a deal. Tusk added that “various scenarios are still possible” – a clear hint that no deal was still a possibility.

On Wednesday German carmaker BMW said it planned to bring forward its annual maintenance shutdown period for its British Mini plant, in case there is no deal.