Page 8 - aruba-today-20180922

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 22 September 2018
UK leader May hits back on Brexit plan; pound falls

By JILL LAWLESS prevent a return to a hard
Associated Press border."
LONDON (AP) — British She also said more than 3
Prime Minister Theresa May million EU citizens living in
accused the European the U.K. would retain their
Union on Friday of creating rights even if Britain left the
an "impasse" in divorce ne- bloc without an agree-
gotiations by bluntly reject- ment.
ing her blueprint for Brexit, "You are our friends, our
sending the value of the neighbors, our colleagues.
pound falling as worries We want you to stay," May
about a chaotic U.K. exit said.
from the EU soared. Dealing with the EU is only
With British newspapers de- part of May's problem. Pro-
claring that May had been Brexit Conservatives, in-
"humiliated" by EU leaders, cluding former Foreign Sec-
the prime minister used a retary Boris Johnson, hate
televised statement from the Chequers plan, saying
10 Downing St. to insist she it would keep Britain teth-
was prepared to take Brit- ered to the bloc, unable
ain out of the bloc without to strike new trade deals
a deal if it did not treat the around the world.
country with more respect. Conservative lawmaker
Declaring that "we are at Jacob Rees-Mogg, an
an impasse," May said the arch-Brexiteer, praised May
EU must lay out "what the for "standing up to the EU
real issues are and what bullies," but urged her to
their alternative is." ditch the Chequers plan
"Throughout this process, for a much looser "Cana-
I have treated the EU with da-style" free trade agree-
nothing but respect," she ment."
said. "The U.K. expects the Pro-EU politicians don't like
same. A good relationship the Chequers plan either,
at the end of this process British Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement on Brexit negotiations with the European saying it will cut the U.K.'s
depends on it." Union, at 10 Downing Street, in London, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. vast services sector out
The pound fell 1.5 percent Associated Press of the EU's single market.
to $1.3066 on May's com- Many are pushing for a new
ments, which seemed to pro-Brexit U.K. politicians U.K.'s Northern Ireland and ment on divorce terms and referendum that would let
make the prospect of an "liars" who had misled the EU member Ireland. the outlines of future trade voters choose between
economically disruptive country about the costs of EU officials have been cool would be sealed or would accepting whatever deal
"no deal" Brexit more likely. leaving the 28-nation bloc. on the plan from the start, fail. she manages to negotiate
May's strong words belied The judgment of British saying Britain can't "cherry- The biggest single obstacle with the bloc and staying in
her weak position: She is newspapers was brutal. pick" elements of member- to a deal is the need to the EU.
a prime minister without The broadly pro-EU Guard- ship in the bloc without ac- maintain an open Irish bor- Labour Party Brexit spokes-
a parliamentary majority, ian said May had been cepting all the costs and der. Failing to do so could man Keir Starmer said May
caught between the EU "humiliated." The conserva- responsibilities. disrupt the lives of people was "in denial."
and a pro-Brexit wing of tive Times of London said: Yet British politicians and and business on both sides, "I don't understand why
her Conservative Party that "Humiliation for May as EU diplomats were taken and undermine Northern she's failed to hear the mes-
threatens to oust her if she rejects Brexit plan." aback by Tusk's blunt dis- Ireland's hard-won peace. sage that the Chequers
makes a compromise too The Brexit-supporting tab- missal of the Chequers plan Britain and the EU have proposal wasn't going to
far. loid Sun branded bloc on Thursday — and by his agreed on the need for a be accepted by the EU
May's combative remarks leaders "EU dirty rats," ac- light-hearted Instagram legally binding backstop to and frankly it's not going to
were calibrated to ap- cusing "Euro mobsters" Tusk post showing Tusk and May guarantee there is no return be accepted by her own
pease euroskeptic Con- and Macron of "ambush- looking at a dessert tray to customs posts and other party," he said.
servatives ahead of what's ing" May. and the words: "A piece of border checks. But Britain Despite the somber mood
likely to be a bruising annu- UK Brexit Secretary Domi- cake, perhaps? Sorry, no rejects the EU's proposed music, Britain and the EU
al party conference at the nic Raab said the bloc had cherries." solution, which would keep hinted there could be a
end of the month. "yanked up the handbrake" In a statement Friday, Tusk Northern Ireland inside the way forward.
May's statement followed on the negotiations. said the bloc's position had bloc's customs union while "I remain convinced that a
a fraught EU summit in But despite all the heated "been known to the Brit- the rest of the U.K. leaves. compromise, good for all,
Salzburg, Austria, which British rhetoric, the EU's posi- ish side in every detail for May said Friday the EU was is still possible," Tusk said. "I
dashed hopes of a break- tion was not new. many weeks." "making a fundamental say these words as a close
through in stalled divorce May's "Chequers plan" — He said EU leaders regard- mistake" if it believed she friend of the U.K. and a true
talks with only six months to named for the prime minis- ed Chequers as "a step would agree to "any form admirer of PM May."
go until Britain leaves the ter's country retreat where in the right direction" but of customs border between May said a solution re-
bloc on March 29. it was hammered out in had been taken aback by Northern Ireland and the quired "serious engage-
European Council Presi- July — aims to keep the May's "uncompromising" rest of the U.K." ment on resolving the two
dent Donald Tusk said at U.K. in the EU single market stance in Salzburg. May said she wanted to re- big problems in the nego-
the meeting that parts of for goods but not servic- Tusk said in Salzburg that assure people in Northern tiations" — trade and the
the U.K.'s plan simply "will es, in order to ensure free an EU summit on Oct. 18- Ireland "that in the event Irish border.
not work." French President trade with the bloc and an 19 would be the moment of no deal, we will do ev- "We stand ready," she
Emmanuel Macron called open border between the of truth, when an agree- erything in our power to said.q