“Chaotic” UK government needs to make a deal on Brexit

Theresa May faces splits in her party and criticism from her EU counterparts over departure deal

epa06359329 (FILE) - Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney arrives for the EU Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit in Brussels, Belgium, 24 November 2017. Media reports on 30 November 2017 state that Simon Coveney has been nominated as the Republic of Ireland's tanaiste (deputy prime minister).  EPA/Virginia Mayo / POOL
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European Union leaders have warned that time is running out for the UK to secure a Brexit deal by March 2019.

The UK's prime minister, Theresa May, was criticised on Thursday for Britain’s lack of progress as leaders gathered for two days of talks in Brussels likely to be dominated by migration rather than Brexit.

Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney said that the messages coming from Westminster about the UK’s position were “chaotic” while prime minister Leo Varadkar tweeted that the UK “urgently needs to step up Brexit negotiations”.

After March 2019, the UK is expected to enter a transition period until at least the end of 2020 when the UK will abide by the EU’s rules but have no powers to affect its decisions. As the deadline looms, Mrs May has faced in-fighting within her own Cabinet on post-EU trade and migration issues that have hampered discussions with the bloc.

“The [UK] government needs to know what kind of deal it wants, and whether this deal works in practice,” said Georgina Wright, a researcher at London-based think tank Chatham House.

Rival factions have set out their positions via the media, with Mrs May’s former chief of staff Nick Timothy saying that her government should “toughen up” its attitude towards an “uncooperative” EU.

“The really frustrating thing for me has always been that every time the prime minister makes progress on Brexit, certain cabinet members set out completely alternative versions of Brexit,” ruling party MP and Brexit-critic Ed Vaizey told the BBC.