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U.K. Doesn’t See EU Moving on Brexit for at Least a Month

  • Expects EU to wait and see if Parliament can block no-deal
  • Sept. 9 seen as crunch date for Tory rebels to show strength
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The U.K. government doesn’t expect the European Union to shift its Brexit position for at least a month while it waits to see how British politicians opposed to leaving the bloc play their hand in Parliament, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated his position on Monday that to strike a divorce deal, the EU must reopen the withdrawal agreement it negotiated with his predecessor, Theresa May. In calls with Portuguese premier Antonio Costa and his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel, Johnson said any deal must abolish the so-called Irish backstop, a fall-back position designed to keep the border with Ireland -- the U.K.’s land frontier with the EU -- free of checks.