Leo: I’ll work with UK to avoid a hard border
THERESA May yesterday reaffirmed her commitment to the December Brexit agreement, after meeting Leo Varadkar yesterday.
However, her comments came after the Taoiseach appeared to indicate a change in his own policy on the subject.
Both governments are now in agreement that a comprehensive free trade deal between the EU and the UK is the best way to avoid a hard border – and they will work together to ‘explore solutions’ on how to achieve that.
Previously, Mr Varadkar said Ireland was ‘not going to be doing the work’ for Britain in terms of the border.
But after meeting the British prime minister at Stormont yesterday, Mr Varadkar said: ‘Both the Irish Government and the British government are very much of the view that the agreement that was made back in December stands, and that we both prefer Option A as the best option, by which we can avoid a hard border with Northern Ireland.
‘That is through a comprehensive free trade and customs agreement, involving Britain and Ireland. That’s the best way we can avoid any new barriers north and south, and also east and west,’ he said. ‘We’ve agreed to work together on that, to see if we can explore solutions that can be achieved over the coming weeks and months.’ A spokesperson for the Taoiseach denied he had made a change of approach, saying the priority was always to avoid a hard border ‘and the three methods of doing so set out last year remain binding’.
Mr Varadkar said the December agreement – which promised that the UK will maintain full regulatory alignment with the EU if all other options are exhausted – is still ‘absolutely bulletproof’.
No.10 has told the Irish Daily Mail that the agreement stands. A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘I understand the PM has taken some questions and confirmed that the December agreement does still hold.’
Tensions around Brexit have been heightened in recent weeks, with chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier warning that a border with the North is ‘unavoidable’ if Britain leaves the Customs Union and Single Market.
That remains the UK’s aim, and Mr Varadkar could not state, when asked, if Mrs May had offered any new solutions on that front. ‘I think what we agreed to do is to cooperate at an official level, the two governments exploring together how we can realise the commitments and guarantees that were given in December, that a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland would be avoided,’ he said, adding: ‘Things are moving in the right direction.’
He said: ‘We also want to agree a transitional agreement, which will give businesses and individuals any time that they may need to prepare for any permanent changes to do with trade. But above all what we want to continue is to have a very close relationship with the United Kingdom, a comprehensive free trade agreement and customs agreement, that allows us to avoid and minimise any borders between Britain and Ireland.’
The December joint report provided three options for avoiding a hard border. The preferred one, Option A, involves a free trade agreement negotiated through the wider Brexit deal.
Option B involves using technological solutions for avoiding a hard border, but, according to Mr Barnier, the UK has yet to provide any proposals for this.
Finally Option C, referred to as the ‘backstop’ in Dublin and the ‘last resort’ in London, effectively promises that the UK will maintain ‘full alignment’ with the Customs Union and Single Market.
Mr Varadkar said the process of placing the December deal on a legal footing by having in stitched into the withdrawal agreement is ‘very much on track’.
‘We agreed to work together’