The withdrawal agreement remains the best and only deal possible. The European Union said so in November. We said so in December. We said so after the first meaningful vote in the Commons in January. The debate and votes in the House of Commons yesterday do not change that. The withdrawal agreement will not be renegotiated.
Sometimes, from time to time, I have the impression that some hope that the 26 other countries will abandon the backstop, and so Ireland, at the last minute. But this is not a game. And neither is it a simple bilateral issue. It goes to the heart of what being a member of the European Union means. Ireland's border is Europe's border. And it is our union's priority.
