Johnson to meet Macron as French president downplays Brexit deal hopes

Hope may be on the horizon for the British prime minister on the protracted Brexit deal. Boris Johnson was informed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel that a solution to the Brexit impasse was possible, albeit against what the UK prime minister described as a “blistering timetable” of 30 days, Mr Johnson will meet a French president with a more sober analysis.

“Renegotiation of the terms currently proposed by the British is not an option,” Emmanuel Macron told reporters, hours after the Johnson-Merkel press conference. Mr Johnson heads to Paris later, with talks likely to involve what the PM views as the the key barrier to a deal – the backstop. As our Q&A explains, that’s the position of last resort aimed at maintaining a seamless border on the island of Ireland. OurReality Check team examines why it’s blocking the Brexit process.