Tory grandees tell Britain's May to solve Irish backstop issue

Senior members of British Prime Minister Theresa May's ruling Conservative Party are urging her to secure last-minute concessions from the European Union if she wants support for her amended Brexit withdrawal deal.

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson wrote in the Daily Telegraph that a "freedom clause" guaranteeing the United Kingdom would not be trapped in the so-called Northern Irish backstop arrangement would be "unadulterated good Brexit news".

Johnson, a strong supporter of the UK leaving the bloc, made the comment as the PM prepared for a series of votes on Tuesday on proposed amendments to her Brexit withdrawal bill, which was crushed by 432 votes to 202 on Jan 15. She has since been attempting to craft an amended deal.

Johnson said May should get the EU to agree an expiry date for the Irish backstop, or gain permission for the UK to withdraw from it unilaterally.

"If the PM secures that change – a proper UK-sized perforation in the fabric of the backstop itself – I have no doubt that she will have the whole country full-throatedly behind her," he wrote.

Graham Brady, chairman of an influential committee of Conservative Party MPs, echoed the sentiment, saying on BBC Radio 4's Today program the backstop should be replaced by "alternative arrangements". He has put forward a proposed amendment that calls for such a change and hopes it will win widespread backing.

"I'm hoping that the way in which the amendment is crafted, it can attract that very broad support," he said.

The backstop has been a major impediment to May winning Parliament's support for the deal she negotiated with the EU that sets out the future relationship between the two sides.

Reuters said prominent Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has also said May's deal might be acceptable if the backstop is removed or nullified.

The Irish backstop is aimed at ensuring there will not be a physical border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic after the UK leaves the EU. The border was a flashpoint in the past for violence between rival sectarian paramilitary groups. The backstop plan avoided a hard border by tying the UK to EU rules until the UK and EU are able to negotiate a free-trade deal. Opponents fear the backstop could force the UK to follow EU rules indefinitely.

But the BBC reported Simon Coveney, the Irish Republic's deputy prime minister, said the backstop was not negotiable.

"Even in a no-deal Brexit situation, every party and every MP in the UK will have a responsibility to ensure there is no return to a hard border and Northern Ireland is protected," he said. "The EU has been clear that the backstop is an integral part of the withdrawal agreement."

By the end of Tuesday's voting, May should know what changes she must make to get her amended Brexit deal past Parliament.

The UK is set to leave the EU on March 29 and, in the absence of a deal, will revert to trading under World Trade Organization rules.

The BBC, meanwhile, claims to have seen a draft version of a letter from the British Retail Consortium that will be sent to MPs, warning of food shortages and empty shelves if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, a so-called no-deal Brexit.

The letter also warns of higher prices and says it is not possible for grocery stores to stockpile fresh food in a bid to offset chaos expected at borders in the event of a no-deal Brexit.