By Tony O'Riley-
EU chiefs are deliberately being stubborn about the backstop issue, and can explore alternative solutions to the problem.
Theresa May and her colleagues are exploring different ideas aimed at addressing the backstop issue, but EU chiefs are determined to make Brexit a difficult process for the Uk. By being very difficult, they hope to send the essage to all other members that leaving the European Union must come at a price.
EU bosses have stuck to their guns of ruling out making changes to the controversial Irish border “backstop” in Theresa May’s Brexit deal, it is pretty obvious these none elected officials want as painful an exit as possible for the Uk, if they leave Britain. They are showing no signs of flexibility because they don’t want to budge. Members of The European Parliament are not stupid and know too well that the current deal presented is very unsafe with potentially serious consequences for Britain and Ireland. They continue to sing the same old boring song instead of facing up to the reality that their offer is unrealistic.
As far as they are concerned, the British public must pay the price for the decision to leave the EU, after the decades of investment placed in the 27 nation bloc. They have indicated their dark motives several times, we should be able to see beyond their lies and hostility by now.
The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier insists the backstop is the “only operational solution” to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland. Tories from both wings of the party met in Whitehall to try to find a solution to the Irish border issue following last week’s Commons vote calling for “alternative arrangements” to replace the backstop. In another headache for the Prime Minister, former first minister of Northern Ireland Lord Trimble threatened to take the Government to court over the backstop, arguing it breaches the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
Meanwhile, Britain would have to pay billions to the EU even under a No Deal Brexit, the European Commission insisted last night.Britain has an estimated £38m divorce bill which British prime minister, Theresa May has promised to pay, but which may yet be denied to Brussels if no deal is arranged as a result of their very spiteful and bullish tactics.
A spokesman said ‘all commitments taken by the 28 member states should be honoured by the 28 member states’, adding: ‘This is also true in a No Deal scenario, where the UK would be expected to continue to honour all commitments made during EU membership.
Ireland’s deputy premier Simon Coveney said alternatives to the border backstop represent “wishful thinking” and that many hours were involved in coming up with a “legally credible and pragmatic” solution.
“What Ireland is being asked to do by some in Westminster is to essentially do away with an agreed solution between the UK Government and EU negotiators and to replace it with wishful thinking and I think that’s a very unreasonable request to ask the Irish Government to be flexible on. So if there are alternative arrangements that can work the current protocol, if people take the time to read it, takes account of that and it says very clearly that the backstop can be replaced by alternative arrangements as long as they work.”
Mrs May will visit Northern Ireland on Tuesday for a speech in which she is expected to confirm her Government’s “absolute commitment” to avoiding a hard border with the Republic after Brexit.
Downing Street has indicated potential solutions could revolve around a time limit or unilateral break clause on the backstop or new technologies to make it unnecessary.