Theresa May brushes off report of all-UK customs deal for Brexit
British Prime Minister Theresa May's office has dismissed as "speculation" a newspaper report that suggests an all-UK customs deal will be written into the legally binding agreement governing Britain's withdrawal from the EU. The Sunday Times said the plan would resolve the vexed issue of the Irish border, which is the main stumbling block in the Brexit talks, by avoiding the need to treat Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the UK. With just five months to go until it exits the EU, Britain's divorce talks are at an impasse, fuelling huge uncertainty among businesses and causing the value of sterling to see-saw on any news about a possible breakthrough in the talks. Reuters reported on Friday that the EU has suggested a backstop post-Brexit customs arrangement that would cover all of the UK. This could give mainland Britain some scope to set trade rules while keeping the province of Northern Ireland aligned with the EU.
British housing minister James Brokenshire said...
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