We must stand f irm in the face of Brexit

WHILE the Brexit deal was categorically rejected in Westminster on Tuesday evening, last night saw the House of Commons declare confidence in their prime minister so that, effectively, it’s now back to square one.

Ultimately it is not the task of an Irish newspaper to tell British parliamentarians, nor, indeed, the British people, how they should conduct their affairs.

Nonetheless, from this vantage point, two things now appear fairly obvious.

Firstly, it would probably be wise to request a deadline extension from the EU while, secondly, it now seems that only a general election will break this logjam and allow the British to move forward.

In the meantime, what can we do that will best serve the interests of the Irish people?

Essentially, it’s a case of hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

To give the Government its due, that would indeed seem to be its approach to this pending crisis as it puts contingencies in place for a no-deal Brexit scenario while still remaining hopeful that a better resolution will be arrived at.

All bases must be covered in this regard, with all manner of protocols put in place to ensure that essential supply chains are not disrupted. There is no excuse at this critical time for not planning for all possible eventualities.

Nor, indeed, is there any excuse, nor any gain to be had, from opposition TDs sniping at the Government over their handling of this situation. This is political point scoring and nothing more.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney did not, in fact, say, as he is being accused, that we will be the people who will bring in a hard border. He was merely saying that if talk goes in that direction, then it will inevitably be misinterpreted. To portray his views in any other light is not only wrong, but potentially dangerous.

The reality is that this country has rightly adopted a tough stance on the issue of the border, a stance that has been unequivocally backed by the EU.

To a man and a woman, therefore, we now need to stand united and present a unanimous front politically and societally to Britain and to the EU.

The future of our nation depends on it.