2017.12.0501:23:00UTC+00UK fails to Clinch Brexit Deal over Irish Border Row

UK Prime Minister Theresa May failed to secure a deal to make way for talks on post-Brexit free trade with the European Union after a tentative agreement with Dublin to keep Northern Ireland in line with EU rules after the exit was rejected by her allies in Belfast.

The British leader held a meeting with European Commision president Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels to finalize the deal. The deal offers the Irish government “regulatory” alignment” on both sides of a new UK-EU border that would have been the last blockage to the EU open talks next week on future trade.

However, Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) issued a hardlined reiteration of its refusal to concede to any “divergence” from rules on the British mainland. The pro-Brexit DUP gives the UK prime minister her majority in the parliament and accused the Irish Republic of improperly intervening in Northern Ireland politics.

After their meeting, May and Juncker announced that there was still no significant progress on the divorce terms to continue on.

May agreed with the EU official that a deal could be attained a few days ahead of the EU summit on December 14-15.