The meeting between Theresa May and Jean Claude Juncker in Brussels is aimed at breaking the current impasse after British MPs voted against the withdrawal agreement. In her speech, Mrs May will say: "I know this is a concerning time for many people here in Northern Ireland. MPs voted last week to say they would only back Mrs May's Withdrawal Agreement if the backstop was replaced by "alternative arrangements". Senior European Union figures have strongly rejected calls for the Withdrawal Agreement to be rewritten to remove the backstop. He said: "The Irish protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement already allows for alternative arrangements or alternative solutions to the backstop and if they're there they can replace the backstop.

Source: Irish Examiner February 05, 2019 06:53 UTC