The Times has a report (behind a paywall HERE) claiming that, "European Union negotiators have admitted that their controversial 'backstop' plan to prevent a hard border in Ireland after Brexit will not work and could undermine the single market. In a confidential diplomatic note seen by The Times, the European Commission and other EU negotiators expressed fears that because the plan covers only customs checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Britain, the province could still become a lucrative loophole in the single market"
Apparently the note says, “A solution for the Irish border does not solve problems related to necessary alignment with the whole EU acquis [body of single market law],
“Many goods have a considerable services component and a level playing field is not covered by alignment with relevant EU rules as foreseen in the backstop.”
Jacob Rees-Mogg has now dismissed one of Mrs May's ideas for a customs partnership as "cretinous" (HERE). Fortunately, the EU have already rejected all our ideas anyway. It must be the first time JRM has agreed with the Commission.
So, the result is NOBODY has any ideas at all how the Irish border problem can be solved!!!!
It looks like the choice facing Theresa May is to build a hard border in Ireland and be prepared to defend it using the army if necessary and in the process drive a coach and horses through the Good Friday Agreement with all that might mean for the reawakening of violence across the province - or cancel Brexit.
Given that she has made utterly crass decisions right from the start and is in thrall to the Brexit-at-any-cost Brexiteers we had all better brace ourselves.
At some point someone is going to have to explain to the leave voters the difference between the customs union and the single market. MPs are pushing for the UK to remain in the customs union (or a customs union) which won't work on its own anyway, while Daniel Hannan tells Sun readers (HERE) that the Swiss border with the EU works smoothly and simply. It's true that Switzerland isn't in either the CU or the SM but they are in the Schengen area and with 80 bilateral and 120 multilateral deals they are in the EEA in all but name. This is why the border works smoothly and simply - and it IS a hard border anyway!
And now we learn that the Irish border problem, which was supposed to be discussed at today's meeting of the cabinet sub committee on Brexit, has been taken off the agenda (HERE) with Mrs May being accused of burying her head in the sand! Is this another attempt to delay things even more?
I am beginning to think that the Irish border, long foreseen as a big problem, may actually be big enough to bring a halt to Brexit. If the ONLY answer is to remain in the CU and the SM we might as well stay in the EU and at least have some influence.
It looks like the choice facing Theresa May is to build a hard border in Ireland and be prepared to defend it using the army if necessary and in the process drive a coach and horses through the Good Friday Agreement with all that might mean for the reawakening of violence across the province - or cancel Brexit.
Given that she has made utterly crass decisions right from the start and is in thrall to the Brexit-at-any-cost Brexiteers we had all better brace ourselves.
At some point someone is going to have to explain to the leave voters the difference between the customs union and the single market. MPs are pushing for the UK to remain in the customs union (or a customs union) which won't work on its own anyway, while Daniel Hannan tells Sun readers (HERE) that the Swiss border with the EU works smoothly and simply. It's true that Switzerland isn't in either the CU or the SM but they are in the Schengen area and with 80 bilateral and 120 multilateral deals they are in the EEA in all but name. This is why the border works smoothly and simply - and it IS a hard border anyway!
And now we learn that the Irish border problem, which was supposed to be discussed at today's meeting of the cabinet sub committee on Brexit, has been taken off the agenda (HERE) with Mrs May being accused of burying her head in the sand! Is this another attempt to delay things even more?
I am beginning to think that the Irish border, long foreseen as a big problem, may actually be big enough to bring a halt to Brexit. If the ONLY answer is to remain in the CU and the SM we might as well stay in the EU and at least have some influence.
