BRUSSELS: Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May heads back to Brussels Thursday for a showdown with EU leaders as she bids to avoid a calamitous no-deal Brexit in 50 days' time.May is to demand that Brussels agree on the need to change the controversial so-called "backstop" for the Irish border in the withdrawal agreement, so that Britain cannot be "trapped" in the bloc against its will.Expectations for the visit were already modest when, on Wednesday, EU kingpins Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker torched May's prospects of winning changes to the withdrawal agreement.Juncker, the president of the European Commission, told reporters that May already knows and accepts that the Union will not reopen talks on the deal.And Tusk, who represents EU member governments as head of the European Council, triggered outrage across the Channel by damning pro-Brexit politicians for -- in his view -- recklessly failing to plan. "I've been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely," Tusk said.Juncker later repeated the same warning that the withdrawal agreement, and the backstop clause designed to keep the Irish border open if no future trade deal is agreed, will not be changed. "The government now wants urgently to work with the EU to secure such changes. The EU shares the UK's commitment to leave with a deal. We must show determination and do what it takes to now get the deal over the line.

Source: Economic Times February 07, 2019 10:07 UTC