Fresh fears for backstop as Varadkar hints at ‘flexibility’

The Government has insisted Ireland is not backing down on the backstop, despite Taoiseach Leo Varadkar admitting he is willing to consider workable alternatives to the plan.

With just four days to go before either Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt replace Theresa May as British prime minister, Mr Varadkar yesterday said he will listen to the next British leader’s views.

Asked on RTÉ’s Today With Sean O’Rourke if there can be any backstop “flexibility”, the Taoiseach hinted he is willing to consider alternatives if they are workable, saying: “It depends what that is. Obviously I can’t be here negotiating over the airwaves and I have yet to hear from the British prime minister what they have in mind.

“But one thing that I mentioned earlier — and this has always been on the table —‘is that the backstop could apply to Northern Ireland and not all of the UK.”

At a separate media event in Wexford, Mr Varadkar said:

The position of the EU and of Ireland is that the withdrawal agreement and the backstop are not up for renegotiation.

However, he again said he would be “very happy to listen to the new prime minister to hear what he has to say and if he can convince the EU and Ireland any alternative arrangements could supersede the backstop”.

The comments have led to fresh backstop fears, with Mr Johnson, the favourite to succeed Ms May, claiming in recent days the backstop is “dead”.

However, several senior Government officials told the Irish Examiner Mr Varadkar’s comments do not hint at any change in position, and are designed to allow Mr Johnson space to table potential alternatives.

MPs yesterday voted to block the next British prime minister from being able to suspend parliament in order to ensure a no-deal Brexit.