Cabinet due to meet at 2pm to discuss draft deal agreed by UK and EU negotiators * Full story: PM tells her cabinet, this is the deal – now back me * Countdown to Brexit: key dates for EU and UK talks * May’s draft Brexit deal: what is it and what happens next? 10.39am GMT Former Irish prime minister BERTIE AHERN has declared the Brexit agreement as a “good deal” for Ireland but a “hard sell” for Theresa May. Ahern, who was taoiseach for 11 years and was one of the architects of the peace process in Northern Ireland, also said Theresa May could go to the cabinet today holding her head high. That has been achieved by [Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator] making a big concession. If I was addressing the British cabinet, I would remind them that it was Theresa May who asked for a temporary customs-arrangement. 10.34am GMT In Greece, where Brexit negotiations have been closely watched - and bemoaned by officials - the state-run TV channel, ERT, has described the coming hours as a day for reckoning for Theresa May. “Today may prove to be one of the most difficult days of the British prime minister’s political career since, to great degree, it will also be decisive for the cohesion of the cabinet,” said the channel reporting developments. Given Greece’s status as the euro zone’s weakest link, politicians across the board frequently lament the prospect of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU fearing it will ultimately pave the way to a Teutonic takeover of the continent. Continue reading...
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