Brexit Minister Barclay: Exploring alternatives to the Irish Backstop

Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Stephen Barclay said that the government is exploring alternatives to the backstop on the Irish border.

One of the options is a time limit on to the backstop, an option that has been repeatedly rejected by the European Union.

Barclay said that the UK will leave the EU on March 29th unless both sides can agree on something else. He added that a no-deal Brexit would be very disruptive. 

Barclay reported that Prime Minister Theresa May will meet opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn later in the day.

On Tuesday, Parliament approved an amendment to renegotiate the Brexit deal and also called to avoid a no-deal Brexit. However, lawmakers rejected a binding motion to avoid a no-deal Brexit.