Will we need to return to a hard border in Northern Ireland after Brexit?

THERE must be a customs-controlled land border with the Republic of Ireland. A coastal border with the rest of the UK is not acceptable to the DUP. While a hard border would destroy the Good Friday Agreement and the UK-Ireland Common Travel Area, and infuriate the Republic, it is the only way to retain the integrity of the UK while keeping Britain safe. It is naive to think a Norway-Sweden system would be acceptable to the 17.4 million who voted to leave the EU because it would not control the movement of people. Once in the Republic, migrants would have free passage to the UK. R. J. EVANS, Birmingham. THE EU can’t insist on a hard border between Northern ireland and the republic without creating borders on our east and south coasts. do they really want to impede imports from the continent? PHIL JONES, Liverpool.

I WISH politicians would stop using the Province as a political football. Those who use the threat of a return to violence demonstrate their ignorance of the support for peace in Northern Ireland.

D. S. HARDY, Bangor, Co. Down.

Why are the EU and the republic of Ireland so dismissive of technical solutions for the border? A seamless technical solution would allow the tariffs of both countries to be applied.

DAVID LIDDLE, Newcastle.

WHY is the EU using Ireland as the stumbling block for Brexit negotiations? With an open border there are two main concerns: the standard of goods and taxes. EU laws have been incorporated into UK law and there is no reason to abandon any that ensure common standards. Where tax is concerned, look at Canada. If you go shopping, there is a ticket price and at the checkout you pay a provincial tax. Why do we need to stay in a

customs union to have zero tariffs? They can be achieved by goodwill and agreement.

L. SMITH, Ferndown, Dorset.

We need a fixed link between Larne in Northern Ireland and Stranraer in Scotland. Trains would be able to depart belfast bound for London, Manchester, Glasgow, edinburgh and even europe via the Chunnel.

JOHN BARSTOW, Pulborough, W. Sussex.

THE 17.4 million people who voted for Brexit can’t be

held to ransom by fewer than five million Irish people. The answer is for the Republic to leave the EU.

B. HODGES, Eynesbury, Cambs.

Why all the fuss about Ireland having a hard border and the ‘huge problems’ this will cause? I have often driven to Italy via Switzerland, which is not in the EU. even at the busiest times, crossing the border takes a few minutes. I’ve never seen queues of lorries.

F. PARKER, Kenilworth, Warks.