‘Brexit no-deal would be chaos for the North’

A NO-DEAL Brexit scenario would see Northern Ireland be collateral damage in a political conflict between the UK and EU, with a severe and negative impact for people and businesses across the island, a UK think tank has warned.

Amid claims from the British government that “no deal is better than a bad deal” in the Brexit talks, the London-based think tank UK in a Changing Europe said in such a situation the outcome for Northern Ireland would be “truly chaotic”.

“The suggestion – even in the form of political rhetoric or as a negotiating tactic – that there might be ‘no deal’ destabilises further an already unsettled situation,” the body said, in a report released today.

“Northern Ireland would risk becoming collateral damage in a political conflict between the UK and the EU; the impact would be negative and severe for people, communities and businesses in Northern Ireland and on the island of Ireland.”

A major concern, it said, is the agricultural sector, where much economic activity and service provision is very closely linked with the Republic, with some farms even straddling the Border.

“If a hard Border is to return and if different tariff arrangements were to operate on either side of the Border, this would be likely to disrupt their highly integrated agri-food supply chains and could encourage the illegal movement of animals and other goods,” the report said.

The think tank argued that although London and Dublin both want to see the common travel area protected, a no-deal scenario would see Northern Ireland leave both the single market and customs union.

“As a result, there will be a return to some form of hard Border; the very thing everyone seems so keen to avoid.”