EU ‘ready to examine’ more Brexit assurances to Britain over Irish backstop – document

The European Union “stands ready to examine whether any further assurance can be provided” to Britain over the Irish backstop and their tentative divorce agreement, a draft showed on Thursday. The draft, a six-point document the EU is preparing for British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday, is intended to help convince the divided UK Parliament to approve the Brexit deal. The document said any such assurances would not “change or contradict” the agreement, Reuters reports. The other 27 EU states have not yet agreed on much of the text. The paragraph on the EU’s readiness to provide more assurances to Britain was likely to change later in the day because of opposition from Ireland as well as other bloc members, according to diplomatic sources.