Theresa May meets Angela Merkel in bid to save Brexit deal

Berlin: Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday met German Chancellor Angela Merkel here as part of a whistle-stop tour to meet European leaders in an attempt to salvage her Brexit deal, a day after postponing a parliamentary vote on it in the face of overwhelming opposition. May met fellow conservative politician Merkel in the German capital having travelled from the Hague, where she had a breakfast meeting with her Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte to seek “further assurances” that the Northern Irish backstop would never come into force, though No 10 warned a rapid breakthrough was unlikely. UK Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said further talks with Brussels would focus on the Brexit “backstop” on the Irish border, which May earlier admitted had caused MPs “widespread and deep concern”. Conservative Party leader May said on Monday that the decision to delay the vote was made after it became clear she would lose it “by a significant margin”. (IANS)

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