Onus on Westminster to find Brexit solutions, says Varadkar

The onus is on Westminster to find solutions to the Brexit impasse which the EU and Ireland can accept, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

The Irish premier said if the UK evolved its red lines on the Customs Union and access to the Single Market then the EU could do likewise.

He said he profoundly regretted the vote by MPs to reject the proposed Withdrawal Agreement.

“We should never forget that Brexit is a British policy that originated in Westminster,” he said.

He recalled the months of negotiations involved in crafting the draft agreement.

“That solution has now been rejected by Westminster, the problem now lies there,” he added.

“The onus is on Westminster to come up with solutions that they can support, but they must be solutions that the EU and Ireland can accept.

“We have always said that if the UK were to evolve from its red lines on the Customs Union and the Single Market, that the European position would evolve also.”

Mr Varadkar was addressing a news conference on Brexit in Dublin.

He warned: “A no-deal scenario would have a deeply negative impact on jobs, on the economy, particularly the traded and agri-food sectors, our farmers and fishermen, our rural economy, our businessmen and women all over the country.

“A no-deal scenario would not protect the peace in Northern Ireland, so we have to work hard to avoid it.”