Reuters, London :
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the European Union on Thursday that the Irish border backstop would have to be struck out of the Brexit divorce agreement if there was to be an orderly exit with a deal.
Johnson told parliament the Irish backstop, an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of a hard border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, must be abolished.
“It must be clearly understood that the way to the deal goes by way of the abolition of the backstop,” Johnson said in his first speech as prime ministers.
The Irish backstop is contained in a protocol of the Withdrawal Agreement which Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, agreed to in November.
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It is the most contentious part of the deal for British lawmakers who fear it will slice Northern Ireland off from the rest of the United Kingdom. Johnson’s government does not have a majority
in parliament so rules with the help of 10 Northern Irish lawmakers from the Democratic Unionist Party, who vehemently oppose the backstop. When asked about Johnson’s comment, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he looked forward to discussing the issue with Johnson. Varadkar yesterday said Johnson’s pledge of a new Brexit deal was “not in the real world”.
Johnson’s dramatic rise to Britain’s top job sets the world’s fifth largest economy up for a showdown with the EU and a potential constitutional crisis – or election – at home, as lawmakers have vowed to thwart a no-deal Brexit.
He has promised to do a new Brexit deal with the bloc in less than 99 days but has warned that if EU leaders refused – something he said was a “remote possibility” – then Britain would leave without a deal, “no ifs or buts”.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the European Union on Thursday that the Irish border backstop would have to be struck out of the Brexit divorce agreement if there was to be an orderly exit with a deal.
Johnson told parliament the Irish backstop, an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of a hard border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, must be abolished.
“It must be clearly understood that the way to the deal goes by way of the abolition of the backstop,” Johnson said in his first speech as prime ministers.
The Irish backstop is contained in a protocol of the Withdrawal Agreement which Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, agreed to in November.
Related Coverage
It is the most contentious part of the deal for British lawmakers who fear it will slice Northern Ireland off from the rest of the United Kingdom. Johnson’s government does not have a majority
in parliament so rules with the help of 10 Northern Irish lawmakers from the Democratic Unionist Party, who vehemently oppose the backstop. When asked about Johnson’s comment, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he looked forward to discussing the issue with Johnson. Varadkar yesterday said Johnson’s pledge of a new Brexit deal was “not in the real world”.
Johnson’s dramatic rise to Britain’s top job sets the world’s fifth largest economy up for a showdown with the EU and a potential constitutional crisis – or election – at home, as lawmakers have vowed to thwart a no-deal Brexit.
He has promised to do a new Brexit deal with the bloc in less than 99 days but has warned that if EU leaders refused – something he said was a “remote possibility” – then Britain would leave without a deal, “no ifs or buts”.
