Leo plays hardball on border

LEO Varadkar yesterday stood firm at the European Council Summit meeting in saying he is not preparing for a hard border, because there simply won’t be one.

This will surely annoy many British politicians – and especially hardline Northern Ireland unionists – but he is doing it with some confidence.

Something that many Brexiteers thought was up for discussion is being categorically ruled out of the equation by the Taoiseach.

So much so he is now not even contemplating any talk of a hard border at all.

To take such a hardline stance against the might of Britain could be regarded as either brave or foolish, we’ll see.

However, this confidence is not unfounded, as it has become clear in recent months, and especially in recent weeks, that Europe has our back on this one.

The most ringing endorsement of our position came from EU President Jean-claude Juncker in his address to the Dail last week when he stated likewise.

He said Ireland’s border is Europe’s border. This brings us from a negotiating position of one small peripheral EU country in the Atlantic to one representing 27 countries and the 500 million people of the EU.

The next move is Britain’s.

But whatever happens next, it’s clear Leo is sticking to his guns on this one.