Boris Johnson to hold sideline talks with European Council President Donald Tusk

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will meet European Council President Donald Tusk on the sidelines of the G7 in Biarritz today. Talks will focus on the Irish backstop clause of Brexit negotiations.

The Irish backstop prevents a hard border between the EU’s Republic of Ireland and UK’s Northern Ireland by keeping the latter part of the EU’s single market and customs union. PM Johnson came into power on July 24 on the premise of removing the clause from the Withdrawal Agreement.

Johnson met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron this week, where the latter two ruled out removing the Irish Backstop clause from the negotiations and declared their readiness to separate from the UK irrespective of a deal.

With the Irish governments and the EU supporting the Irish backstop, it is highly unlikely that Mr Johnson will finalise his desired deal in time. In case of a no-deal exit, UK citizens will face shortages of daily supplies of food and medicine, greater customs checks at borders and restricted movement in the Schengen area.

Wake up smarter with an assessment of the stories that will make headlines in the next 24 hours. Download The Daily Brief.