Shona Murray
DUP threatens chaos just as Brexit solution seemed possible
OLD habits die hard. Just as a solution to the impasse on Brexit talks concerning the Irish Border appeared to materialise, the DUP says it will stand in the way of progress.
For the past 18 months Ireland and the EU has waited for Britain to wake up to its responsibilities to protect the Good Friday Agreement and ensure there would be no hard Border dividing North and south. The final arrangement would see the UK agree to no regulatory divergence on key EU-related sectors between the North and the Republic, but the DUP is intervening to put a halt to the British government’s plans.
By threatening to pull out of its arrangement which keeps Theresa May’s government in power, the DUP is further destabilising Britain at such a crucial time. For a party that is so ideologically committed to staying close to Great Britain, its actions – if it does pull out of government – would be catastrophic.
Moreover, it risks putting the Labour Party in power. Jeremy Corbyn’s party might be even more willing to give in to the EU’s demands. The crucial summit of EU leaders is less than two weeks away, but the actual deadline for agreement is next week.
Meanwhile, calls for the Irish Government to prepare to veto Brexit talks from proceeding to phase two without the Border question being resolved are unnecessary. Outgoing President of Sinn Féin Gerry Adams, and his presumed successor Mary Lou McDonald, have both said they expect Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to prevent talks moving forward unless Ireland’s “national interest” is clearly “addressed”.
Across the board within the EU institutions, and more importantly among member states, there is genuine support for the need for the ‘Irish question’ to be secured before the European Council allows the UK to discuss trade. At the same time there is an eagerness for increased momentum, in particular to ensure the rights of three million EU citizens in the UK are secured. But it is highly unlikely to envisage a situation where Ireland is alone amid 26 other EU countries forcing it to proceed when doing so would be so destructive.