Section:GDN 1N PaGe:1 Edition Date:190821 Edition:01 Zone:S Sent at 20/8/2019 20:36 cYanmaGentaYellowb
Johnson heads to Europe after
call to ditch backstop is rejected
Jennifer Rankin Brussels
Jessica ElgotThe European Union has rebuff ed
Boris Johnson’s attempts to tear up
the Irish backstop, in a co ordinated
response that appear s to close the
door on a restart to meaningful Brexit
negotiations.
In remarks shortly before the prime
minister departed for a whistle-stop
tour to meet European leaders, John-
son put the blame for the EU’s hardline
response at the feet of Conservativerebels, claiming his negotiating strat-
egy was being undermined by those
who said they could prevent no deal.
The president of the European
council, Donald Tusk, accused the Brit-
ish government of failing to admit that
its policies would lead to the return of
a hard border on the island of Ireland.
As the standoff played out, the
government confi rmed British offi -
cials would stop attending most EU
meetings from 1 September, a move
denounced by critics as showing con-
tempt for British infl uence in Brussels
and allies across Europe.Jed Foster, who is charged with the murder of PC
Andrew Harper, leaves Reading magistrates court
yesterday after being remanded in custody. The
20-year-old denies the charge. News Page 7 Johnson suggested the EU’s position
was infl uenced by the manoeuvres of
those Tory MPs examining legislative
methods to stop no deal in the Com-
mons, including former cabinet
ministers such as Philip Hammond.
Downing Street has insisted leaving
on 31 October cannot be stopped by
any means, even if parliament passes
legislation.
“One thing that slightly, I think,
complicates the picture is that our EU
friends still clearly think that there is a
possibility that parliament will block
Brexit,” Johnson told broadcasters.The standoff set the stage for tense
encounters between Johnson and
Angela Merkel in Berlin and Emmanuel
Macron in Paris, before a gathering of
G7 leaders on Saturday. The German
chancellor is expected to dismiss
Johnson’s call to scrap the backstop
when she meets him today.
“The letter to the president of the
council is not a serious off er, and
Boris Johnson knows it,” said Norbert
Röttgen, a Merkel ally who heads Ger-
many’s foreign aff airs committee. “If
Johnson really wanted to
achieve something on hisPollution
linked to
mental
illnesses
Suspect in court over
police offi cer’s murder
Nicola DavisPeople who spend their childhood in
areas with high levels of air pollution
may be more likely to later develop
mental disorders, research suggests.
Air pollution has become a grow-
ing concern as a n increasing number
of studies have found links to condi-
tions ranging from asthma to dementia
and various types of cancer. There are
also signs it m ay take a toll on mental
health. Research published in Janu-
ary found children growing up in the
more polluted areas of London were
more likely to have depression by 18
than those from areas with cleaner air.
But a study by researchers in the US
and Denmark has now suggested a link
between air pollution and an increased
risk of mental health problems, includ-
ing bipolar disorder, schizophrenia
and personality disorders.
Between 1% and 2% of the UK
population have bipolar disorder in
their lifetime, with similar fi gures
for schizo phrenia. It is esti-
mated that about 5% of
2 9 “And as long as they think there’s a
possibility that parliament will block
Brexit they are unlikely to be minded
to make the concessions that we need.
So it is going to take a bit of patience.”‘The letter is not a
serious off er – and
Johnson knows it’Norbert Röttgen
Ally of Angela Merkel G
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