Reopening Brexit deal 'not on agenda': Merkel spokesman

Germany on Wednesday slapped down Britain's hopes of persuading Brussels to rewrite the Brexit deal, with Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman saying re-examining the agreement was "not on the agenda".

"Opening the withdrawal agreement is not on the agenda," said Steffen Seibert, a day after British Prime Minister Theresa May said she would seek to revisit the pact she sealed with the 27 EU leaders at a summit last month.

British MPs late Tuesday voted through an amendment saying they would only support a divorce deal if a controversial "backstop" clause to keep the Irish border open was removed.

The German government has taken note of the British parliament's decision to seek "more clarity" on the border issue, said Seibert.

"It is now up to PM Theresa May to give concrete explanations on this issue to the EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker," added the spokesman.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas earlier Wednesday said it remained unclear what the British government wants amended.

"It must now quickly say what it wants because time is short," said Maas.

He stressed however that Germany and the EU stood firmly behind Ireland on the issue.

"We won't allow Ireland to be isolated on this question," he said.

Brexit hardliners from May's Conservative party think the backstop -- created to keep the border open with Ireland -- could see Britain indefinitely tied to EU trade rules.

The winning amendment calls for the backstop to be replaced with "alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border" -- vague wording that did not pin May to any specific approach.