‘We’ve Got a Great New Deal’: Brexit Treaty Agreed by Boris Johnson and EU

President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker also said: “Where there is a will, there is a deal. We have one! It’s a fair and balanced agreement for the EU and the UK and it is testament to our commitment to find solutions.”

The Commission chief wrote in his letter: “As regards the withdrawal agreement itself, negotiations focused on the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland [ie, the backstop] and sought to identify a mutually satisfactory solution to address the specific circumstances on the island of Ireland.

“The negotiators also discussed the political declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom. Their aim was to adjust the political declaration in a way that reflects the different level of ambition now sought by the government of the United Kingdom for the country’s future relationship with the European Union.”

“I believe it is high time to complete the withdrawal process and move on, as swiftly as possible, to the negotiation on the European Union’s future partnership with the United Kingdom,” he added.

🇪🇺🤝🇬🇧 Where there is a will, there is a #deal – we have one! It’s a fair and balanced agreement for the EU and the UK and it is testament to our commitment to find solutions. I recommend that #EUCO endorses this deal. pic.twitter.com/7AfKyCZ6k9

— Jean-Claude Juncker (@JunckerEU) October 17, 2019

Mr Juncker added that he recommends the EU27 endorse the deal during this week’s European summit. If the other EU nation-leaders back the proposal, the agreement would go to the British parliament on Saturday for a vote.

Doubt remains whether there is enough support in the House of Commons to pass a withdrawal agreement bill, with key player the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) sceptical that the deal in its current form was acceptable.

Support from the Northern Irish unionist party is key for the minority Conservative government. In a joint statement released on Thursday morning, before news of the agreed deal broke, DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds said that “as things stand, we could not support what is being suggested on customs and consent issues and there is a lack of clarity on VAT”.

Mrs Foster and Mr Dodds added: “We will continue to work with the government to try and get a sensible deal that works for Northern Ireland and protects the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom.”

Post-announcement, the DUP was reported to have said: “Read our statement. It hasn’t changed.”