Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Jean Claude-Juncker and Michel Barnier rule out changing Withdrawal Agreement and warn of increased no-deal risk… Michel Barnier criticised Theresa May for ‘distancing herself’ from the Brexit deal she struck with Brussels before attacking former Brexit secretaries David Davis and Dominic Raab for playing a “blame game” with the EU. The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator and Jean-Claude Juncker told MEPs in the European Parliament in Brussels that they would reject any British efforts to renegotiate the Irish border backstop. Mr Barnier and Mr Juncker said that nothing had changed in the EU’s position despite the House of Commons voting for the Brady amendment, which called on the prime minister to renegotiate the backstop. Both men warned the vote had increased the chance of a no deal Brexit and vowed the EU would never abandon Ireland at a plenary session of the parliament on Wednesday. “For the first time yesterday the UK prime minister openly called for the reopening of the Withdrawal Agreement, even before the vote later in the evening,” Mr Barnier said. – Telegraph (£) > WATCH: Jean-Claude Juncker’s speech to MEPs yesterday …with Jean-Claude Juncker insisting Europe won’t abandon Ireland or the backstop… European Union countries will not play “games” or abandon Ireland or the backstop to prevent a no-deal Brexit, Jean-Claude Juncker warned the prime minister today. In a message to Theresa May and MPs, the European Commission president insisted that the EU would not reopen the withdrawal agreement or go back on a backstop to prevent a hard border in Ireland. “The agreement will not be renegotiated. I get the impression some hope the other 26 will abandon the backstop and Ireland, but this is not a game,” he told MEPs. “It goes to the heart of what being a member of the EU means. Ireland’s border is Europe’s border and it’s our union’s priority.” The prime minister is regarded as having a weak hand in Brussels and negotiators are banking on the Commons majority against a no-deal Brexit to play to the EU’s advantage over the coming days. – The Times (£) …and Donald Tusk tells May it’s up to her to sort out the impasse… Theresa May has been told by Donald Tusk that it is her job to find a solution to the Brexit impasse during what sources have described as an “open and frank” 45-minute phone call in the wake of her demands for a renegotiation. The European council president warned the prime minister that a precondition for any further talks was a concrete plan from Downing Street that could clearly command the support of parliament. She in turn insisted to the EU’s most senior official that parliament had highlighted the issue that needed to be addressed in its vote on the so-called Brady amendment on Tuesday evening. But the EU source said May then subsequently failed to offer any proposals during the conversation. Tusk is understood to have replied that the prime minister could not expect Brussels to come to her rescue with a solution. EU officials and leaders are increasingly concerned that Downing Street is seeking to blame Brussels for their failures. – Guardian …while the Commission suggests Britain will have to pay the £39bn Brexit bill even if there is no deal Britain must pay the £39 billion Brexit bill even if it leaves the EU without a deal, the European Commission has warned. Britain agreed to pay the financial settlement to the EU, which include EU Budget payments up to 2020, to cover its liabilities to the bloc and unlock talks over the future relationship. As it released a new set of no deal Brexit plans in Brussels on Wednesday, the commission said, “all commitments taken by the 28 Member States should be honoured by the 28 Member States. This is also true in a “no-deal” scenario, where the UK would be expected to continue to honour all commitments made during EU membership.” In the European Parliament in Brussels, Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the commission, warned that a no deal Brexit was more likely after MPs voted to send Theresa May back to Brussels to renegotiate the Irish border backstop. “The financial obligations would need to be dealt with,” a senior EU official said, “We want to avoid very disruptive and sudden consequences which would be difficult to handle.” – Telegraph (£) Brussels says UK should keep paying into EU budget after no-deal – Independent Prime Minister reshuffles her negotiating team… Theresa May has appointed three senior cabinet ministers to take charge of the new Brexit negotiations to try to broker an agreement between Brussels and her warring party. David Lidington, the prime minister’s de facto deputy, is expected to lead the talks on her behalf. A former Europe minister who is widely respected in Brussels, he will be supported by Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, and Geoffrey Cox, the attorney-general. Government sources said that Oliver Robbins, Mrs May’s chief Europe adviser who led the detailed negotiations on the withdrawal agreement, would have a less prominent role. Some Brexiteer critics of Mrs May’s original deal privately claimed that he had hampered the negotiations by pushing her to accept EU demands on the backstop. Mr Robbins raised concerns about the government’s decision to back Sir Graham Brady’s amendment demanding radical revision of the backstop because he did not think the EU was willing to make significant changes, according to The Daily Telegraph. – The Times (£) …as it emerges Oliver Robbins warned her against the plan to renegotiate the deal… The Prime Minister’s chief Brexit negotiator warned against backing a Tory plan to go back to Brussels and reopen negotiations in a series of emails to senior officials, The Telegraph has been told. Oliver Robbins raised concerns about an amendment tabled by a senior Tory MP requiring the Prime Minister to secure changes to the Northern Ireland backstop, sources said. He allegedly questioned whether the EU will be willing to make significant legal changes to the backstop. Mrs May, however, ultimately chose to back the amendment, which Parliament supported on Tuesday night by 317 votes to 301. Mr Robbins is also said to have to have expressed concerns about the practicality of a “Plan C” to break the Brexit deadlock drawn up by Tory Remainers and Brexiteers, known as the “Malthouse compromise”. One source said: “The gist of the email was that it wasn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” Mrs May is facing a mounting backlash from Remain ministers over her plan to go back to Brussels and renegotiate her deal. One Cabinet minister told The Telegraph her plan was “insane… it is mad because we are trying to renegotiate our own deal.” – Telegraph (£) …and Tory Brexiteers accuse Downing Street of breaking a promise to bring seasoned trade negotiators onto May’s team A fresh row erupted between Tory Brexiteers and No10 after it was accused of going back on a promise to shake up the PM’s negotiating team. Just 12 hours after the PM’s Commons victory on Tuesday night, Tory MPs’ delicate truce also began to crack when loyalist ministers accused hardliners of tricking Theresa May. Arch Tory Eurosceptics say Theresa May’s chief of staff Gavin Barwell had promised to bring in two seasoned trade negotiators as part of a deal for their votes. The European Research Group want the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO Julian Braithwaite and the Department for International Trade’s chief negotiator Crawford Falconer to go to Brussels for new talks. But No10 yesterday insisted there were would be “no change” to the PM’s team, and it will still be lead by Whitehall mandarin Olly Robbins. Angry former Tory leader Iain Duncan-Smith branded the U-turn “absurd”. After another meeting with Mr Barwell yesterday, senior Tory Brexiteers said No10 were having a second change of heart over the two men. – The Sun Angela Merkel will push Britain to the brink in Brexit showdown with May Angela Merkel will “go to the edge of the precipice” with Theresa May as the European Union prepares to reject any change to the withdrawal agreement in time for a crucial vote in two weeks. Diplomatic sources said the German chancellor believed that people needed “to look into the abyss before a deal is done at five to midnight — that is how she works”. The next summit at which European leaders could agree any changes to the agreement or an extension to the negotiating period to avoid no deal is on March 21, only eight days before Britain is due to leave the EU. Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, ruled out further negotiation and insisted yesterday that there were no plans for an emergency summit to hold talks with Mrs May. “A renegotiation is not on the table. There’s no plans to discuss any changes to the guidelines. Nor is there any pressure to hold [a summit],” he said. “The withdrawal agreement is not up for renegotiation and is not going to be reopened.” – The Times (£) Leo Varadkar says Theresa May’s Plan B ‘reinforces the need for a Irish Brexit backstop’… Leo Varadkar has told Theresa May that the House of Commons’ vote to scrap the Northern Ireland backstop had reinforced the need for the insurance mechanism. EU leaders mounted a united defence of the Brexit withdrawal agreement yesterday and vowed to protect Irish concerns over the border. The British prime minister was left grappling to build support around her position and was preparing to entice Labour MPs with a cash injection into deprived areas of the UK, including former mining communities. On Tuesday, MPs voted by 317 to 301 to back a plan which requires Mrs May to replace the backstop with “alternative arrangements” to keep the border frictionless after Brexit. The prime minister is regarded as having a weak hand in Brussels and negotiators are banking on the Commons’ majority against a no-deal Brexit playing to the EU’s advantage. Mr Varadkar spoke to Mrs May by phone and gave her an early indication that his allies were unlikely to cede ground. It is thought that the taoiseach expressed disappointment over the Westminster vote and told Mrs May it was unusual for her to have voted against what she had helped to negotiate. – The Times (£) > Adam MacCarthaigh on BrexitCentral today: As an Irishman, I’m appalled by Leo Varadkar’s antagonism over Brexit …but the DUP remain confident of a Brexit deal without the backstop The DUP has said that it was “perfectly possible” Theresa May would be able to negotiate a revised Brexit deal without a backstop. The British prime minister relies on the support of the party’s ten Westminster MPs and the group has been opposed to the backstop from the start. Sammy Wilson, the DUP’s Brexit spokesman, said Mrs May had reassured his party she would ask for the withdrawal agreement to be reopened and have the backstop removed.“She will come back with a legal guarantee that Northern Ireland won’t be separate from the rest of the UK,” he told Sky News. “I believe it is perfectly possible for her to deliver.” He said Mrs May had “a very strong hand” and had the backing of the House of Commons. He said: “We are leaving on March 29, whether the EU likes it or not. There’s not going to be a withdrawal agreement in place then, so far, far better for them to start looking at the flexibility which they are telling the Irish they will look at in the event of no deal, and get that flexibility in a deal. Mrs May must deliver a Brexit agreement which keeps Northern Ireland within the UK and which enables the UK as a whole to leave the EU, including the customs union.” – The Times (£) Business Secretary Greg Clark calls for ‘compromise’ as Labour push for customs union Brexit solution… Business Secretary Greg Clark has told ITV’s Peston he wants to see unity in Parliament as Labour make a pitch for a possible customs-union solution to the Brexit impasse. Mr Clark told host Robert Peston the close referendum result means MPs across the chamber need to come together to find a compromise in the Brexit negotiations. He also told Peston he would do everything he can to avoid a no-deal Brexit, hinting he may even resign if he can no longer influence events. Mr Clark spoke after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his aides made the case for a comprehensive customs union with the European Union in a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May. Mr Corbyn, who had initially refused to engage in cross-party talks with the prime minister until no-deal was taken off the table, described his meeting with Mrs May as “exploratory on the issues”. Asked by Peston about the likelihood of him backing a long-term customs union solution if it commanded a majority in the Commons, Mr Clark said: “I would want to see what proposals were there… you’re talking about a proposal that hasn’t even been made, let alone proposed for agreement. – ITV News …while May woos rebel Labour MPs in an effort to gain Brexit deal backing Theresa May is putting together a package of measures aimed at wooing Labour MPs in leave-supporting constituencies, offering greater protection for workers’ rights after Brexit and, it emerged on Wednesday night, cash for former coalfield communities. The prime minister has asked two cabinet ministers to consult opposition backbenchers over legislation to protect workers’ rights after Brexit, although there is a fierce debate in Labour about how far to engage with the Conservatives. Downing Street also confirmed that extra cash for deprived post-industrial areas was also under consideration, to allow “Labour MPs representing Brexit communities to say they have extracted something tangible”, according to a government source quoted in the Times. As part of the charm offensive, Steve Barclay, the Brexit secretary, and Greg Clark, the business secretary, met Labour MP Melanie Onn on Wednesday to discuss further safeguards on workers’ rights. – Guardian May woos Labour MPs with cash to back Brexit – The Times (£) May considers extra spending to woo Labour MPs – FT (£) Jeremy Corbyn and his MPs who want to delay Brexit are like squabbling children, Labour veteran blasts… A senior Labour Brexiteer has compared Jeremy Corbyn’s support for delaying Brexit to “kindergarten” children because of his “fundamental misunderstanding” of how negotiations work. Graham Stringer said his party’s decision to back Yvette Cooper’s amendment was “dangerous” because “nobody would know who was in control” of Brexit. He also ridiculed Mr Corbyn’s call to rule out a No Deal Brexit – comparing it to a trade union boss telling managers that “whatever you do, we won’t go on strike”. Mr Stringer – a veteran Eurosceptic on Labour’s backbenches – threw his weight behind No Deal if Theresa May’s deal fails – saying: “It just means complete freedom. So I’m not bothered about no deal.” Appearing as a special guest at the Tory Eurosceptic Bruges Group, Mr Stringer said: “Often in discussing the European Union my colleagues use kindergarten language – they say ‘they’re our friends, how could they not have our interests at heart?’. – The Sun …as Corbyn is accused of ‘turning a blind eye’ to Labour frontbenchers who helped thwart Yvette Cooper’s bid to delay Brexit Jeremy Corbyn has been accused by his own MPs of turning a “deliberate blind eye” to Labour rebels who helped thwart a bid to delay Brexit. Remain-supporting Labour MPs were left furious after eight shadow ministers were among 25 members of the Opposition who defied Mr Corbyn’s orders to back a plan to extend Article 50. They believe the Labour leader gave the rebels permission to ignore his instructions because he secretly did not want the plan to pass. But Mr Corbyn’s official spokesman denied the claim and insisted “there was no nods or winks”. It came as Mr Corbyn held Brexit talks with Theresa May in her parliamentary office as he was denied the chance to be seen entering 10 Downing Street. The meeting was described by Labour as “a useful exchange of views” with the pair agreeing to meet again. But speaking afterwards Mr Corbyn said he was “suspicious” Mrs May was trying to “run down the clock” on Brexit. Mr Corbyn whipped his MPs to vote in favour of a plan to extend Article 50 on Tuesday night but 14 voted against the move while 11 more – including eight shadow ministers – abstained as it was defeated by 321 to 298. – Telegraph (£) No-deal Brexit would push Europe back into deep recession, with explosive consequences Economic growth across the eurozone core has dropped to stall speed. This is the price that Europe pays for clinging to a mercantilist trade model. If you depend on perpetual surpluses and the rest of the world’s consumer demand to stay afloat, you become acutely vulnerable in a Sino-led global trade slump. Italy has been in recession for the last six months. Credible forecasts are warning of outright contraction for the whole 2019 as well, posing a lethal threat for Italy’s fragile debt dynamics. Germany and France are both in an industrial slump. The IHS Markit composite index of French manufacturing and services fell deep into contraction territory in January. These economies are at a dangerous juncture in the economic cycle where – if they are not careful – the ship no longer rights itself. It tips too far and capsizes. That is how downturns suddenly turn violent. – Telegraph (£) Priti Patel hits back at EU claims Britain is delusional over Brexit Priti Patel has launched a blistering attack on EU leaders who “belittle” Britain in a fiery speech as she warned the “hopes and dreams” of Brexiteers “is on the brink”. The Tory MP launched a rallying cry to Brexiteers urging them to “showcase” all that is wrong with the European super state because Brexit is “under threat”. She said: “I think we should do more to showcase and reiterate what is wrong with the EU, we do it anyway and in fact they do it for us. Every time when they belittle our Prime Minister, every time when a leader from another European country from not far away, across the water, that belittles our great country, our great nation, something which we would never do in return and yet we sit back and take it. “We have to give the British public confidence that Britain will make a success and can make a success of its future outside the EU. We need to sure the British people know that of course it has a bright and prosperous future outside, as a beacon of free global trade. A country that is open to markets, our friends in the commonwealth and growing and emerging countries around the world.” – Express Daniel Hannan: EU’s backstop stance on the Irish border is ridiculous – no one wants this Brexit barrier It should be a no-brainer. Is the EU really going to give up on an orderly Brexit for the sake of a backstop Dublin, London and Brussels all insist they don’t want or expect to come into force anyway? Will Eurocrats cause needless disruption just to make a point? Would they rather see all sides suffer than watch a post-EU Britain succeed? If so, what would it say about the organisation we are leaving? Let’s take a moment to recap. Immediately after the referendum, EU officials declared they would not talk to Britain about a long-term relationship until we first agreed withdrawal terms, including a “divorce payment”, rights for EU citizens and the Irish border. Britain foolishly agreed. It was particularly silly to discuss Ireland before the main trade talks, since the obvious way to prevent a hard border on the island is through a deep and comprehensive trade agreement between the UK and the EU as a whole. That, though, would have given Ireland a strong incentive to get the best possible terms for the UK, and for itself. So instead, at the end of 2017, the EU suddenly came up with the idea of an “Irish backstop”. It wanted Britain to promise that, unless it came up with a long-term trading relationship that satisfied Brussels, it would stay in the customs union and leave Northern Ireland under EU regulations. – Daniel Hannan MEP for The Sun Nick Timothy: This ‘unicorn’ could make the backstop vanish, but Parliament needs to stick to its guns Alternative arrangements to the Northern Irish backstop, which Parliament has instructed the Prime Minister to seek, are attainable. As many on the British side have argued all along, it is perfectly feasible for the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland to operate different customs policies without establishing a hard border between them. Even Michel Barnier, the EU negotiator, has said that, if there is no deal, Brussels will “find an operational way of carrying out checks and controls without putting back in place a border”. The solution, he admits, lies in technology and policy: “Controls can be made paperless or decentralised.” In other words, he accepts Britain’s “maximum facilitation” plan once written off by his deputy, Sabine Weyand, as a “hunt for the unicorn”. Indeed, a unicorn the plan is not. Customs administration can be completed before goods are moved, through pre-registration and trusted trader schemes, and monitoring can be risk-based and conducted in each country, away from the border. Small businesses, like farms that straddle the border, can be exempted, and more all-Ireland governance arrangements can facilitate trade. – Nick Timothy for the Telegraph (£) Asa Bennett: Theresa May toys with Labour customs compromise as her Brexiteer pitch unravels Theresa May threw out lots of red meat yesterday in order to persuade Tory Brexiteers to back the Sir Graham Brady amendment ordering her to find “alternative arrangements” to the backstop. She promised to go as far as demanding that the Withdrawal Agreement is reopened in order to change it sufficiently, lavished praise on the ‘Malthouse Compromise’, and even suggested that the influence of her civil service aide, Olly Robbins, would be diluted by the added involvement of her ministerial colleagues, and other advisers. All this delighted Brexiteers. Iain Duncan Smith spoke excitably on Sky News this morning about the “really interesting” people who would be getting a greater say, like the Government’s chief international trade negotiator Crawford Falconer and its representative to the United Nations and World Trade Organisation Julian Braithwaite. “There ought to be more people like him,” the former Tory leader said about the latter man. – Asa Bennett for the Telegraph (£) Nicky Morgan: Why our compromise plan is the one to get Brexit moving again It is time to draw the first phase of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU to a close, and in order to do that we have to agree a deal with the EU that gets us on to negotiating our future trading relationship. The country also now desperately needs its MPs to think about something other than Brexit, and its government to focus on the many other pressing issues facing us. It is undoubtedly true that the best way to stop a no-deal outcome to Brexit in March is for MPs to agree a negotiated withdrawal agreement with the EU. But that has to be an agreement that gains the support of a majority of MPs in the House of Commons. Tuesday night’s votes showed that a majority of MPs can be assembled if the concerns about the Northern Ireland backstop in the draft withdrawal agreement are addressed. Until last week I didn’t think that such a majority could be found. But, as with any difficult talks, if a few key people from either side of the debate can be encouraged to move from their entrenched positions and discuss the issues properly then a common understanding can be reached. And on the thorny topic of Brexit, so it has proved in the Conservative party this week. – Nicky Morgan MP for the Guardian Nigel Farage: British fury at the arrogant, high-handed behavior of the EU could unite the country to back a WTO deal It is a statement of fact that most of our MPs voted to remain in the EU in 2016. It is equally true that most of these Remainer MPs have not altered their position on this subject since then. And yet on Tuesday night, I am pleased to say, I had the feeling that voter anger in constituencies across the land made its impact felt on the series of parliamentary votes held to try to break the deadlock in Parliament. Despite the defeat of the Cooper and Grieve amendments, and the passing of the Brady amendment, it would be premature for a Brexiteer to be too optimistic. A long road lies ahead. What Tuesday night proved, however, is that when the public roars, MPs ultimately have to listen. The response to Mrs May’s plea to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement from our unelected masters Mr Juncker and Mr Barnier (or ‘Your Excellency’, as Mrs May calls them) has been predictably offensive. I know that the UK started from a weak point, in that Mrs May signed up to the dreaded backstop proposal under duress. (As you will recall, she jumped to attention, leaving Downing Street at 4:15 am, on December 8, 2017, to meet one of Barnier’s deadlines, a journey she has since admitted was a huge mistake). – Nigel Farage MEP for the Telegraph (£) Richard Tice: Robbins must go – the EU negotiations need a fresh face I have recommended many times over the last 15 months that the Prime Minister should shake up her negotiating team and bring in competent, Brexit-believing supporters, including from the business world. She should recognise that Tuesday’s votes have provided her with a lifeline: she must finally take this chance to turn over the soil and put in fresh fertiliser to enhance the UK’s negotiating power. She can start by hiring expert negotiators. Crawford Falconer was rumoured to have been brought in to the team and is someone I recommended should take over back in April last year. Living up to his name, Falconer has been busy flying around the world teeing up new and exciting trade deals. No doubt the International Trade Secretary regularly called upon his considerable experience as former Chair of the OECD Trade Committee, the WTO Subsidies Committee and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council National Committee. As a Kiwi, Falconer would have been born with that positive, horizon-searching and can-do Commonwealth spirit needed to grasp the opportunities Brexit and national sovereignty provide. – Richard Tice for ConservativeHome The Sun: Tories must remain united on Brexit or the EU will get exactly what they want It is vital that the Tories reflect on their new unity and vow to maintain it. Because it could all be reversed in a fortnight — and the EU is counting on it. That’s why, despite the world watching to see if it is capable of reasonable compromise, its eurocrats remained so pig-headedly defiant yesterday. Their confected rage and ridiculous pretence at still being confused over what Britain wants are stalling tactics. The hope being that in the new round of votes on February 14 Tory Remainers, some in Cabinet, blink first. That this time they back a motion preventing us leaving without a deal on March 29, setting up the potential reversal of Brexit. They must not. The cost to the country and their party will be catastrophic. The Sun does not want No Deal but the threat of it is our greatest leverage. We must not give it up. It is equally dangerous if Brexiteers overplay their hand. They have pushed Theresa May in the right direction — but they must now be realistic. If the EU does finally offer some meaningful legal commitment on the backstop they must take it. The PM’s deal will be softer than they want. But hold out for more and Brexit could be lost. A Remainer-stuffed Parliament may see to that, however bullish eurosceptic MPs are today. Meanwhile, two things must happen: While No Deal is still possible we must turbo-charge our preparations for it. And Brussels must be left in no doubt . . . not one penny of our exit bill will be paid if it happens. – The Sun Brexit in Brief History makes it unlikely, but there are good reasons for Ireland quitting the EU – Ray Bassett for the Telegraph (£) This is Brexit’s La La Land moment – Nick Cohen for The Spectator Hysteria about a no deal is getting totally out of hand – Tim Newark for the Express Find compromise and a new Brexit deal is within reach – Henry Newman for The Times (£) MPs may lose February break in scramble to pass Brexit bill – The Times (£) Brexit’s unheard voices – Unherd Ministers think a permanent Customs Union with the EU is the price for solving the Backstop – Buzzfeed News Tory MP reveals how UK can be top ‘free world trade’ nation while EU stumbles – Express