Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Boris Johnson tells Cabinet there is a ‘way forward’ to achieve a Brexit deal that respects the Good Friday Agreement… Boris Johnson told his Cabinet today that a Brexit deal is achievable, telling them “a pathway to a deal could be seen”. In a briefing with colleagues this afternoon, he stressed the “current progress” being made in Brexit negotiations and stated that is was important to “remain prepared” to leave the European Union on Oct 31. “The Prime Minister said there was a way forward for a deal that could secure all our interests, respect the Good Friday Agreement, get rid of the backstop and get Brexit done by October 31 so we can push on with domestic agenda,” a No 10 spokesperson said. There has been mounting speculation that Mr Johnson’s proposed compromise could see Northern Ireland remain politically part of a customs union with the EU but one administered by the British government. – Telegraph (£) Boris Johnson tells MPs ‘back me or admit you’re trying to thwart Brexit’ – Daily Mail …although talks in Brussels are yet to yield a breakthrough with a timely deal feared ‘impossible’… A breakthrough in the Brexit talks has failed to materialise after a weekend of intensive negotiations, with European Union capitals concluding that it may now be impossible for the UK to leave the EU by 31 October with a deal. In a briefing to EU ambassadors on Sunday evening, the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, raised the prospect of the talks having to continue after the forthcoming leaders’ summit on Thursday, such was the lack of progress. Barnier told diplomats for the member states that the latest British customs proposals for the Irish border remained an “untested” risk that the bloc could not countenance. He said that it would require a fresh “political impulse” from Boris Johnson for a deal to be realisable this week. – Guardian …as there is fury in response to EU demands for more Brexit concessions… Brussels has demanded yet more Brexit concessions from Britain, prompting warnings that a deal based on further compromise to the EU would never get through Parliament. Michel Barnier, Brussels’ chief Brexit negotiator, told EU ambassadors that “more work needs to be done” as he updated them on the state of the talks on Sunday. One diplomat from a major member state insisted the UK “must move quickly” if it wants an agreement signed off at this week’s summit, adding: “The clock is ticking.” The demand for yet more concessions from the UK prompted frustration and anger in Westminster, with Cabinet ministers hitting out at Brussels for ignoring the need for Boris Johnson to get parliamentary backing for any deal reached. The minister said: “What the EU need to understand is all their very clever negotiating tactics don’t mean anything if you can’t get it through the House of Commons. “This was the whole thing with the backstop. They moved on that because the thing they were trying to protect with the backstop – no border in Ireland – was actually more likely to happen because the deal kept getting voted down.” – Telegraph (£) EU tells Johnson to give more ground on Brexit – The Times (£) EU sparks fury by demanding more concessions from Boris Johnson to agree to deal as Brexiteers declare ‘enough is enough’ – The Sun …while Jacob Rees-Mogg hints at compromises as the EU warns ‘a lot of work remains’ Jacob Rees-Mogg has hinted that the government is preparing to make compromises in order to get a Brexit deal – telling Sky News he may have to “eat my words” – as Europe says there is more work to be done. The Leader of the House of Commons told Sophy Ridge on Sunday that negotiations with Brussels “seem to be taking a serious turn” and the situation “looks a lot more positive this week than it did last week”. He reiterated this in his Sky News interview, saying that the PM was “somebody who even the arch eurosceptics, even a member of the Brexit Party can trust and have confidence in”. Mr Rees-Mogg gave little away in terms of what is in the government’s new plan, saying: “We’ll have to wait and see what the precise details are. Naturally in the middle of a negotiation these matters are extremely sensitive as everyone is compromising to some degree and therefore to give negotiations the best chance of succeeding, it is best to be discreet about them.” – Sky News Jacob Rees-Mogg prepared to ‘eat his words’ on Brexit customs compromise – Telegraph (£) > WATCH: Jacob Rees-Mogg MP discusses the potential new Brexit deal Boris Johnson’s allies are ‘praying’ for a Brexit deal this week but fear a delay is now inevitable… Boris Johnson’s allies are “praying” for a Brexit deal with the EU this week but are readying themselves for talks to break down by Wednesday, as Downing Street advisers prepare for an extension “in all circumstances” and tussle over the government’s ongoing strategy. After the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier briefed the bloc’s 27 ambassadors that there had been no breakthrough over the weekend, UK government officials told BuzzFeed News that they feared discussions with Brussels would break down this week. Number 10 hopes rather than expects that a deal can be done, one of the officials said. Downing Street now believes there is genuine political will from both Johnson and the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to reach an agreement, contrary to statements from Number 10 early last week that the prospect of any deal was dead, and Varadkar’s insistence that “no backstop is no deal”. There is also an increasing belief in Johnson’s team that the Democratic Unionist Party and hardline Brexiteer rebels — the so-called “Spartans” — would back a deal based on the prime minister’s new proposals. Downing Street officials led by Johnson’s EU sherpa David Frost have spent the last 10 weeks drawing up the new Brexit offer in remarkable secrecy, with even many at the top of the government unaware of the details. Those working on the compromise deal were described to BuzzFeed News by one minister as Number 10’s “sensibles”. There is some debate within government as to the extent to which the prime minister’s chief advisor Dominic Cummings and his Vote Leave wing of Downing Street have been kept in the loop about the plans. – Buzzfeed News …while rebel Tories plan to bring back Theresa May’s Brexit deal Theresa May’s failed Brexit deal could be put to another vote if Boris Johnson walks away from talks in Brussels. Rebel Conservatives are understood to have held talks with Labour, Liberal Democrat and SNP MPs about a plan to break the deadlock in parliament. Under the plan, if negotiations in Brussels collapse and the Benn act is successful in securing an extension, MPs would then try to seize the initiative from the government. Rather than accept an early election they would try to take control of the Commons order paper again and put Mrs May’s withdrawal agreement to a fourth vote subject to a confirmatory referendum. They believe that they have the support of a “significant” number of Labour MPs who fear that their party could be wiped out in a Brexit general election. The Liberal Democrats have also indicated that they could support the move along with a “majority” of the 21 MPs who quit the Conservative Party in protest at Mr Johnson’s no-deal threats. However, it does not have the backing of the Labour leadership. Jeremy Corbyn insists that he wants an election not a second referendum. – The Times (£) EU is ready to grant a Brexit extension in build-up to Thursday’s summit… Jean-Claude Juncker has talked up the prospects of a Brexit extension beyond 31 October as EU officials downplayed the chances of a breakthrough in time for this week’s crunch summit. As talks on Johnson’s latest Brexit proposals continued in Brussels, the European commission president said he would back a prolongation of the UK’s membership if it was sought. “It’s up to the Brits to decide if they will ask for an extension,” Juncker told the Austrian newspaper the Kurier on Sunday. “But if Boris Johnson were to ask for extra time – which probably he won’t – I would consider it unhistoric to refuse such a request.” The prime minister is still hoping to make enough progress at a European council meeting on Thursday to be able to hold a Commons vote on his Brexit plans in a rare Saturday sitting next weekend. – Guardian …although Boris Johnson will ‘probably not’ ask for an extension, admits Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Boris Johnson will “probably not” ask the EU to delay Brexit even if no deal is agreed this week, Jean-Claude Juncker has said. The European Commission president said he was not expecting the UK to “ask for extra time” but that he would not block a further extension if one was requested. Mr Juncker admitted that he “cannot judge” how Mr Johnson will treat the crunch European Council summit later this week if no deal has been agreed between the EU and UK. Under the terms of the so-called Benn Act passed by parliament last month, the prime minister must ask the EU for a further delay to Brexit if a deal has not been approved by 19 October. However, Downing Street have said repeatedly that Mr Johnson will not request an extension “in any circumstances” and will instead fulfil his “do or die” pledge to deliver Brexit by 31 October. Mr Juncker suggested that he was expecting Mr Johnson to stick to his pledge. – Independent Jeremy Corbyn isolated as shadow team defy him over new Brexit vote… Jeremy Corbyn has become increasingly isolated as senior Labour figures defied him and called for Labour to back a second referendum on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. Allies of John McDonnell have put pressure on Mr Corbyn to move the party to an unambiguously pro-Remain stance. Rebecca Long Bailey, the shadow business secretary and a key McDonnell ally, openly contradicted the Labour leader yesterday and questioned how long he should remain in power. She told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One that she could back a second confirmatory referendum on a Johnson deal shortly after Mr Corbyn appeared to reject the plan. “I think the only option that we’ve got now is to let the people decide,” she said. “I know that many colleagues are of a similar opinion to me . . . if we’re faced with a deal that’s passed through the Commons by an unelected Tory prime minister that could potentially be damaging for our economy.” Asked if she would support attaching a referendum to any deal Mr Johnson struck she replied: “Yes”. – The Times (£) Jon Trickett comes out in support of a ‘Labour Brexit’ – Guardian > WATCH: Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey on The Andrew Marr Show …while the Labour leader warns MPs against backing a Johnson Brexit deal – even if it is put to referendum Jeremy Corbyn has cautioned MPs against backing any Brexit deal Boris Johnson secures with Brussels – even if it is put to a referendum. The Labour leader told Sky News that his party was unlikely to back any agreement the prime minister manages to strike with the EU. The Labour leader was speaking to Sky News as negotiators from the UK and EU hold talks in a bid to thrash out a deal ahead of a crucial summit this week. Sky News understands Mr Johnson has proposed a compromise in an attempt to break the deadlock. Details of this offer have emerged in recent days – and asked whether Labour could support such a deal, Mr Corbyn said: “I think the problem areas are of regulation and deregulation which come from whatever trade arrangement there is with Europe and the wider world but also perhaps very seriously is the Irish border issue. And if it creates a border down the Irish Sea rather than on the Irish border itself, I can see that bringing problems.” – Sky News > WATCH: Jeremy Corbyn interviewed on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday Priti Patel says the Government does not fear no-deal terrorist violence Priti Patel has said that the Government does not fear a revival of terrorist violence if a no-deal Brexit occurs, despite additional security measures. Asked by Andrew Marr if the new measurements meant that the government feared “the resumption of terrorist violence in the case of no deal”, Ms Patel said: “No, that’s not the case at all.” The Home Secretary added: “Our security arrangements will be based upon the type of tools, shared intelligence forums, data sharing that we currently have. “The job of the government is to keep our people, communities, and our country safe and of course that’s my focus, and that’s the focus of the government,” she added. – iNews > WATCH: Home Secretary Priti Patel discusses the Government’s Brexit plan Just one in seven trust Parliament on Brexit, new poll reveals Trust in MPs to make the right decisions on Brexit is at rock bottom, according to a new poll for Sky News. Just one in seven people said they trusted parliament at all when it came to the Brexit issue, and one in 100 currently trust politicians “a lot”. Boris Johnson is trusted by around a third of the public – 32% – to make the right calls on Brexit, but that rises to two thirds (64%) of Conservative voters. Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is trusted by just 16% of the public on the issue, compared with 76% who do not trust him. But in a finding likely to deepen concerns at the top of the party about its Brexit message, only 36% of Labour’s 2017 voters trust their leader on Brexit, with former Leavers particularly sceptical. When asked about their trust in parliament as a whole on Brexit, only 14% of those polled said they trust MPs and peers to deliver the right outcome, compared with 77% who do not. – Sky News Iain Duncan Smith: Panicking Tory Remainers are determined to sabotage any Brexit deal Not long ago, ‘rebel Remainers’ in the Tory Party swore faithfully that they voted for the Benn “Surrender Act” because they wanted to ensure Boris Johnson got a deal. I can recall vividly in the House of Commons how they all nodded sagely when Oliver Letwin stated that this was their only goal. Yet within just a few weeks, many of those nodding heads now seem to be shaking heads. Philip Hammond, Dominic Grieve and their cohorts, panicking at the possibility that Boris Johnson may actually now get a deal, have seemingly started hatching a plot to force the UK to stay in the EU beyond the October 31. We shouldn’t be surprised. After all, so many of these complainants have form when it comes to changing their position on the issue of Brexit. After Britain voted to Leave, they vowed to uphold the result, and decried a second referendum. Grieve himself said in 2016 that, “If you invoke Article 50 it is a one way street to exit, with no agreement … if necessary”. Yet now it seems these and other pledges are to be trashed. As well as abandoning democratic commitments, many have even taken to casually abandoning their previous political views. – Iain Duncan Smith MP for the Telegraph (£) Nick Timothy: Brexit ‘crunch week’ will reveal the true colours of our politicians Cries of anger, howls of anguish, and claims of betrayal will fill the air this week. But as the details of Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal become clearer, it will not necessarily be the purists and hardliners among Leave supporters protesting. It will be the Remainers and Remoaners whose hopes of stopping Brexit altogether now risk coming to nothing. Since the referendum, few MPs have argued, honestly and openly, that they want to overturn Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. Labour’s manifesto promised to “accept the referendum result”. The shadow Brexit secretary, Sir Keir Starmer, has spent the past three years insisting that “while Labour did not support leaving the European Union … we have accepted that that choice was made and that it will now be delivered”. In practice, however, opposition politicians – and opponents of Brexit on the Tory benches – have argued that the terms upon which we leave must be different to whatever terms are negotiated by whichever prime minister happens to be in No 10. -This is why the real anger will reside where the political disappointment is greatest. If Boris gets his deal, the Remoaners face defeat. Their hysterical reaction will prove that, all along, their game was to stick two fingers up to democracy, and overturn the referendum. – Nick Timothy for the Telegraph (£) Trevor Kavanagh: Boris Johnson’s deal is near… if the rabble alliance don’t wreck it, that is “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away and know when to run,” sings Kenny Rogers in The Gambler. England’s 2007 rugby World Cup anthem should be crawling around like an earworm at this week’s high-wire, 11th-hour Boris v Brussels Brexit talks. After years of painful dithering, we have reached the die-in-a-ditch moment predicted by the PM when he first walked into No10. Security on the negotiations is watertight. “Everyone assumes the French and Germans are bugging our phones so they’ve made us lock them away in lead boxes,” says an insider. The EU mood changed after an explosive threat by Supreme EU Leader Angela Merkel to seize Northern Ireland as an EU hostage was leaked by Sun columnist James Forsyth. The conversation, witnessed by two dozen officials, could not be denied. “Nobody knows if she got out of bed the wrong side or fluffed her lines,” says a source. “But as a result, everyone finally understood we want a deal, but are not bluffing about No Deal. Ireland’s Leo Varadkar realised if we had an election on No Deal, we would win a majority. He would face total disaster.” Varadkar decided for the first time to negotiate seriously. At the heart of these anguished negotiations is sovereignty — as it has been since Referendum Day. Britain did not vote for a half-in, half-out Brino (Brexit In Name Only). Any deal has to honour Boris’s repeated pledge to end the EU role as colonial masters of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We must take back control over our laws, our borders and our economy. If Boris comes back with a deal acceptable to the DUP, hardline Tories and moderate Labour MPs, how will voters react to a desperate mob of sour losers trying to prolong the nation’s agony? – Trevor Kavanagh for The Sun Leo McKinstry: MPs must put country before party and secure Brexit for Britain The hour of reckoning approaches. Boris Johnson is about to enter one of the most momentous weeks in the history of British politics. At stake is the fate not just of his premiership but the very destiny of our country. If he is able to secure a withdrawal deal in the coming days, he will be able to honour the referendum result and put Britain on the road to independence. But if the intransigence of either the house of Commons or the EU prevails, then a miserable stalemate will drag down his Government and sink Brexit, perhaps forever. Today, the Queen’s Speech at the state opening of Parliament will set out the Tories’ vision for Britain, including more police on the streets, tighter immigration controls and greater funding for the NHS. But none of those measures can be implemented unless the current Brexit deadlock is broken. And the only way that can be done is through an agreement successfully negotiated with the EU and passed by MPs. Until last Thursday, such a mission looked impossible as talks stalled over the vexed question of the Irish border. As the Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg wrote yesterday, “Compromise will be needed, something even the staunchest Leavers recognise.” Similarly, the Tories’ allies in the Democratic Unionist Party cannot hide behind their traditional slogan of “no surrender.” Retreat into a self-destructive siege mentality would be a threat to Brexit, peace in Northern Ireland and the union with Great Britain. Johnson will need the backing of most of the 21 ex-Conservative rebels who lost the whip last month when they voted against his Brexit policy. This group has always proclaimed that it accepts Brexit but is solely opposed to a no deal departure. Well, if a deal is on offer next Saturday, we will soon find out the truth. – Leo McKinstry for the Express Brexit in Brief Never again must the Speaker be able to make up new rules whenever he likes – John Penrose MP for the Telegraph (£) EU rules could make cancer deaths more likely, says report – Telegraph (£) Furious Tories accuse BBC’s Andrew Marr of a ‘premeditated’ bid to embarrass Priti Patel after he attacks Home Secretary for ‘laughing’ – MailOnline Brexiteer MP Andrew Bridgen launches scathing attack on Hammond and Grieve over anti-Brexit plot – Express