LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson will meet his Irish counterpart on Thursday in a last-ditch attempt to revive a British proposal for a Brexit deal that the European Union said falls far short of what is needed for an orderly divorce. Brexit descended into a public row between London and Brussels this week after a Downing Street source said a Brexit deal was essentially impossible because German Chancellor Angela Merkel had made unacceptable demands. As both sides position for another delay followed by a British election, or an acrimonious divorce on Oct. 31, Johnson will meet Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at an undisclosed location in the north west of England on Thursday. “This will be a private meeting to allow both leaders and their teams to have detailed discussions,” the offices of both leaders said in identical statements. “They’re seriously focused on trying to resolve this issue and trying to get a deal,” junior business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said.

Source: National Post October 10, 2019 06:45 UTC