Theresa May rules out replacing Irish backstop in EU deal after Brussels trip revealed

2019-02-05 18:21:03

Theresa May has risked a fresh clash with Tory MPs after saying she is not planning to replace the controversial Northern Ireland backstop. The prime minister had agreed to consider "alternative arrangements" in a bid to win over Eurosceptic rebels but, speaking in Belfast, suggested she was focused on trying to change the backstop rather than replace it. It comes after Downing Street confirmed Ms May will travel to Brussels on Thursday to meet European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in a bid to secure fresh compromises on the backstop, desipte the EU having insisted that it will not reopen negotiations. AFP.