The UK is about to sign up for a customs workaround for the Irish border
that will have no end date and no way of being broken, Attorney General
Geoffrey Cox warns, urging to accept the inevitable; either dropping
the backstop clause, or dropping the Brexit deal entirely.
It will be almost impossible to get out of Theresa May's Chequers deal
on Brexit, once it has been adopted, UK Attorney General Geoffrey Cox
warned ministers Wednesday.
The Chequers deal, a hardly-negotiated compromise Brexit scenario,
incorporates a so-called "backstop," which is effectively an insurance
policy designed to avoid the introduction of a hard border between
Northern Ireland, which is a part of the UK, and the Republic of
Ireland, which is a part of the EU.
The backstop is supposed come into force in the event there is a gap
between the transitional period, during which UK-EU relations will stay
mostly the same, and the "future relationship," preventing the emergence
of the hard border between the two Irelands during that time.
However, the Chequers deal's current wording contains no end date, which
has sparked fierce criticism from a number of ministers, who have
accused Theresa May of trying to extricate herself from her current
predicament by adopting the backstop concept without a clause that would
allow it to later be broken.
Brexiteers are pushing for an "escape clause" that would allow the UK to
break the backstop, in order to keep the UK from what they see as
"permanent vassalage" to the EU.
Speaking before the Cabinet Wednesday, the Attorney General said,
however, that it would not be possible to change the customs backstop
once the UK signs up to it, The Telegraph reported.
Therefore, the UK government should either accept a backstop without the
possibility of getting out of it later on, get rid the backstop clause
from the deal, or push for a hard "no-deal" scenario, he told the
Cabinet.
The latter option would introduce a proper border between the two
Irelands, complete with customs, checks and limited freedom of movement.
Speaking before the Cabinet earlier on Tuesday, Cox compared the Ireland
backstop to being "stuck in Dante's first circle of Hell."
In the meantime, Prime Minister May enjoyed a display of massive support
from the Tory party's 1922 Committee. While observers had predicted the
weekly meeting would be a "show trial" for May, with one MP even
suggesting the PM should "bring her own noose," the Committee instead
welcomed her by banging on desks and doors in a show of support, Express
reports.
"It was encouraging. Everyone was praising her," Tory MP Michael
Fabricant said, referring to Theresa May's speech before the committee.
However, Brexiteer MPs have accused the PM of staging the entire event.
"The whips will communicate via Whatsapp. The first questioner will
already have been agreed and the questions planted. It's a PR farce,"
Brexiteer MP Nadine Dorries told reporters after the event.
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that will have no end date and no way of being broken, Attorney General
Geoffrey Cox warns, urging to accept the inevitable; either dropping
the backstop clause, or dropping the Brexit deal entirely.
It will be almost impossible to get out of Theresa May's Chequers deal
on Brexit, once it has been adopted, UK Attorney General Geoffrey Cox
warned ministers Wednesday.
The Chequers deal, a hardly-negotiated compromise Brexit scenario,
incorporates a so-called "backstop," which is effectively an insurance
policy designed to avoid the introduction of a hard border between
Northern Ireland, which is a part of the UK, and the Republic of
Ireland, which is a part of the EU.
The backstop is supposed come into force in the event there is a gap
between the transitional period, during which UK-EU relations will stay
mostly the same, and the "future relationship," preventing the emergence
of the hard border between the two Irelands during that time.
However, the Chequers deal's current wording contains no end date, which
has sparked fierce criticism from a number of ministers, who have
accused Theresa May of trying to extricate herself from her current
predicament by adopting the backstop concept without a clause that would
allow it to later be broken.
Brexiteers are pushing for an "escape clause" that would allow the UK to
break the backstop, in order to keep the UK from what they see as
"permanent vassalage" to the EU.
Speaking before the Cabinet Wednesday, the Attorney General said,
however, that it would not be possible to change the customs backstop
once the UK signs up to it, The Telegraph reported.
Therefore, the UK government should either accept a backstop without the
possibility of getting out of it later on, get rid the backstop clause
from the deal, or push for a hard "no-deal" scenario, he told the
Cabinet.
The latter option would introduce a proper border between the two
Irelands, complete with customs, checks and limited freedom of movement.
Speaking before the Cabinet earlier on Tuesday, Cox compared the Ireland
backstop to being "stuck in Dante's first circle of Hell."
In the meantime, Prime Minister May enjoyed a display of massive support
from the Tory party's 1922 Committee. While observers had predicted the
weekly meeting would be a "show trial" for May, with one MP even
suggesting the PM should "bring her own noose," the Committee instead
welcomed her by banging on desks and doors in a show of support, Express
reports.
"It was encouraging. Everyone was praising her," Tory MP Michael
Fabricant said, referring to Theresa May's speech before the committee.
However, Brexiteer MPs have accused the PM of staging the entire event.
"The whips will communicate via Whatsapp. The first questioner will
already have been agreed and the questions planted. It's a PR farce,"
Brexiteer MP Nadine Dorries told reporters after the event.
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