May’s thrashing in Salzburg lessens fears that EU will cave on the border

THE next few weeks will define the manner of the UK’s divorce from the EU with European heads of state drawing a line in the sand on Britain’s seemingly unworkable proposals. For months now the UK – and its Brexit cheerleaders in particular – have been trying to have their cake and eat it with Brexit proposals that would see them cherry-picking legislation that would allow the UK enjoy the main benefits of EU membership without living up to the responsibilities that come as part of the European project.

The champions of Brexit – especially those still clinging to deluded notions harking back to Britain’s long-faded imperial past – remain convinced, despite all evidence to the contrary, that Britain has the strongest hand in the EU divorce negotiations.

That ludicrous argument was dealt a shattering blow in the last week as, one by one, a cavalcade of EU leaders lined up to rubbish and dismiss Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal.

May’s political humiliation in Salzburg – which left her in a precarious position ahead of a fractious Tory party conference – was a clear sign that the remaining EU leaders have no intention of allowing a Brexit contagion to spread across the continent. It was also a signal of how Britain will be treated post-Brexit. The EU will still politely listen to Britain but that’s about it. As the pro-Brexit camp were repeatedly warned ahead of the catastrophic referendum decision, Britain – once one of the EU’s key players and decision makers – is being frozen out.

The UK made its bed and now the EU is making it lie in it. On the outside looking in, there is a creeping realisation among some Brexit cheerleaders in middle England that they might, just might, have made a rather large mistake.

Take, for instance, British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s comment that he would back a second Brexit Referendum if his party so desired, an announcement that was watered down, though, by his shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, stating that any second referendum should focus only on the departure deal and not on the option of remaining in the EU.

Regardless of the party conference circuses in the UK, the EU leaders show of unity in Salzburg should be good news for Leo Varadkar and his Government. Concerns that the EU would be willing to sacrifice Ireland and the border issue to secure a soft Brexit deal with the UK had become more and more common in recent weeks.

Publicly and behind closed doors – doors now closed to Ms May – the EU’s leaders have backed Dublin and reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring there is no return to a hard border.

Of course, that could still change at the 11th hour but with the EU 27 embracing a new hard-ball approach to Brexit talks, the leaders need a crunch issue to help drive home their agenda and secure the best deal for Europe.

The Irish border provides just that and anyone in the UK – Boris Johnson for example – who thought the Border issue could be swept aside should now be entirely disavowed of that notion.

The weeks ahead will be difficult, more so for Theresa May, but Mr Varadkar was certainly justified in saying that he felt “very assured” as he left Salzburg for Dublin.