Brexit amendment backed by PM May would not fly with EU - official

A British parliamentary amendment calling for the Irish backstop to be removed from the EU-UK divorce deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May, and replaced with "alternative arrangements", would not be accepted by the bloc, an official in Brussels said on Tuesday. The official, who deals with Brexit and was speaking on condition of anonymity, said May should know it was a non-starter given the EU's long-held position that the backstop - an emergency fix to keep the Irish border free of checks after Brexit - is a key part of the Brexit deal with London.

The "Brady amendment", to be voted on in parliament on Tuesday, has been endorsed by May's Conservative government. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Kevin Liffey)