Can Deal Be Reached Before Brexit Deadline? Boris Johnson's Plan Gets Cool Reception

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled his proposal for exiting the European Union Wednesday, noting there’s “very little time” for the United Kingdom and the other 27 members of the economic alliance to reach agreement ahead of the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline.

Johnson has said he’s against extending the deadline even though a no-deal Brexit would cause economic disruption and possible civil unrest and would break off negotiations if the plan is rejected outright.

Opposition leader Corbyn dismissed the proposal as worse than the deal negotiated by Johnson predecessor Theresa May, which was rejected by Parliament.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it’s hard escape the conclusion the Johnson plan is “designed to fail.”

Johnson described his plan as “fair and reasonable.”

Johnson’s five-point agreement would uphold the Good Friday agreement, commit to collaboration between the U.K. and Ireland, create a regulatory zone between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for goods but not services, give Belfast officials a chance to endorse the agreement and make Northern Ireland a part of the U.K. customs territory, not the EU customs union.

The proposal was transmitted to the EU in a letter to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. In a subsequent phone call, Juncker pointed out what he termed "problematic points" related to the customs regime.

“There is now very little time in which to negotiate a new agreement between the U.K. and EU under Article 50. We need to get this done before the October European Council,” Johnson wrote. The council meets Oct. 17.

Johnson said alternatives such as electronic paperwork could be developed to obviate the need for customs checks on the island of Ireland.

"There is progress, but to be frank a lot of work still needs to be done," said Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator.

The Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist party, which had opposed earlier proposals, hailed Johnson’s plan as “a basis for the EU to continue in a serious and sustained engagement with he U.K. government.”

Northern Ireland officials would not only get approval authority at the end of the transition period, but every four years thereafter.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, however, was cool to the proposal and Brussels fears the plan could prove economically destabilizing for the island.

Guy Verhofstadt, the head of the European Parliament's Brexit steering group, said "nearly every member" of the committee was unhappy with the proposal because of a lack of safeguards for Ireland.

Britons voted in 2016 to pull out of the European Union but working out a clean divorce has proved messy and led to the ouster of two of Johnson's predecessors. Parliament has voted to seek an extension of the Oct. 31 but Johnson has said he will not follow that law even if no deal is worked out.