May disowns backstop deal

Posted by Jim on July 21, 2018

After a chaotic week of u-turns and narrow votes at the Westminster
parliament, the British Prime Minister has denounced a previously agreed
‘backstop’ plan to ensure no border checks are introduced across the
island of Ireland.

The Tory leader spent two days in the north of Ireland this week in a
visit which Sinn Fein described as being about Mrs May “coming to pick a
fight with Ireland and to pick a fight with the European Union”.

In her address at the Waterfront Hall, May claimed the EU’s backstop
proposal to prevent a hard border would “dislocate” the north of Ireland
from Britain.

Although the north of Ireland voted against Brexit, Mrs May cited the
consent principle of the Good Friday Agreement, “that it will always be
for the people of Northern Ireland to decide ‘without external
impediment’ what their constitutional future should be”.

She said a “customs border within our own country [sic] is something I
will never accept and I believe no British prime minister could ever
accept. And as they made clear this week, it is not something the House
of Commons will accept either.”

Her intransigent address repeated other unionist themes and offered no
solutions to the Brexit crisis.

Speaking after meeting the Tory leader, Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald
said Mrs May had “set aside” an agreement made with the EU in December
by rejecting the backstop.

“We were told that the British prime minister came to Ireland to listen
and to reassure – it is clear that she is not listening to community and
business interests and seeks only to reassure the DUP.”

“Theresa May claims to want to avoid a hard border in Ireland, while
pursuing a policy that will deliver a hard border,” she added.

May’s visit appeared to have been organised by the DUP, on whom she is
critically dependent at Westminster. Her sole engagement outside Belfast
was in the DUP leader’s constituency, and had dinner with DUP figures
while only allowing brief access to the other main parties.

Following a rebellion by hard-right Tories, May allowed her white paper
on Brexit to be heavily amended, including one measure that would
prevent any customs checks for goods traded between Britain and the
north of Ireland. That move alone could ensure a hard border across
Ireland.

The 26 County Tanaiste Simon Coveney has revealed contingency plans to
recruit more than 500 customs and veterinary inspectors in preparation
for a hard Brexit.

Speaking in Brussels, Mr Coveney said some elements of Downing Street’s
white paper would be the basis of agreement but others “might not be
workable”.

“We want to de-dramatise some of these things, which are the basis of
exaggeration and headlines across media outlets, and get down to a
focused negotiation to try to work out what in the white paper can be
accommodated and can be the basis of agreement and in what areas do we
need new thinking to ensure that the EU’s interests are protected while
also negotiating a fair deal for Britain,” he said.

However, Sinn Fein expressed concern after the Dublin government said it
was open to the possibility of a new deal on the border.

A comment by the 26 County Finance Minister, Paschal Donohoe, that
Dublin will consider a new plan if it is better than the one on the
table, appeared to move away from the so-called ‘bulletproof’ agreement
touted by 26 County Taoiseach back in December.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Taoiseach last week
“equivocated and failed to stand over” the backstop as agreed.

“Since then, we have seen further chaos in Britain with emboldened
Brexiteers seeking to abandon the December backstop altogether,” she
said.

“Our citizens, our economy, and our businesses require certainty. There
have been reports that the EU is preparing to amend the backstop
arrangements. We need clarity on this point.

“The Taoiseach is outlining plans for failure, but has yet to outline
his plan for success.

“He needs to make clear, with our EU partners, that they still stand
over the backstop as agreed, that will make good on the agreement made
in December, and how they intend to bring legal clarity and certainty in
advance of the withdrawal agreement.”