Brexit: PM to meet Angela Merkel with call to scrap backstop

Boris Johnson will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin later, where he is expected to reiterate his call for the Irish border backstop plan to be scrapped.

The PM has said the arrangement to avoid a hard border after Brexit is "anti-democratic" and must be removed to secure a deal.

But the EU has rejected the possibility of any changes to the backstop.

Mr Johnson said the EU's response to his demands was "a bit negative".

However, he said he would enter Brexit talks with "a lot of oomph" and there was "a real sense that something needs to be done" with the backstop.

"We can't get it through Parliament as it is," he added.

The backstop is part of the withdrawal agreement negotiated between Brussels and former Prime Minister Theresa May, which has been rejected by Parliament three times.

Mr Johnson has vowed to do all he can to renegotiate the agreement, but has insisted the UK will leave on 31 October with or without a deal.

Labour and other opposition parties, as well as a number of Conservative MPs, have vowed to do everything possible to prevent a no deal.

Jeremy Corbyn has promised to bring a vote of no confidence in Mr Johnson as a means to do that, and some Tories have said they would rather bring down their own government than see no deal happen.

The BBC's political correspondent Iain Watson said beyond his backstop demand, Mr Johnson would take a second key message to the German chancellor - "renegotiate now and don't assume the anti-Brexit dissidents in the UK Parliament will find a way to block no deal."

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Ms Merkel stressed that the backstop was a position of last resort and once "a practical solution" was found for the Irish border which allows trade and secures the Good Friday Agreement, it would not be needed.

She also indicated, though, there would be no change to the withdrawal agreement.

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