UK Prime Minister Theresa May is going to Brussels today to seek legal binding changes to Irish border backstop arrangement. But there is little chance for EU to change their stance. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was quoted by an aide saying “I have great respect for Theresa May for her courage and her assertiveness. We will have friendly talk tomorrow but I don’t expect a breakthrough.”
UK Chancellor of Exchequer Philip Hammond was also quoted telling a manufacturing association that “the so-called ‘Malthouse’ initiative to explore possible alternative arrangements to the backstop is a valuable effort..”. However, he added, “it is clear that the EU will not consider replacing the backstop with such an alternative arrangement now in order to address our immediate challenge.”
