British PM issues backstop ultimatum to EU over Brexit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has issued an ultimatum to the European Union (EU) to scrap unviable and anti-democratic Irish border backstop, to negotiate a new deal before the October 31 Brexit deadline.

In a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, the British Prime Minister also said the backstop risked undermining the Northern Irish peace process.

But the ultimatum was rejected by the EU as it restated its stand on the backstop being non-negotiable. Mr Tusk said those opposing the arrangement without realistic alternatives supported re-establishing a hard border.

Mr Tusk said



the backstop is insurance to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland unless and until an alternative is found. 

In his letter, Johnson reiterated his highest priority was to achieve an agreement to avert a chaotic no-deal exit from the 28-nation economic bloc, but not with any kind of backstop, designed to avert a post-Brexit hard border between EU member-country Ireland and British region Northern Ireland. 

Johnson is to travel to Germany tomorrow for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and then to Paris on Thursday for discussions with President Emmanuel Macron.