BREXIT BORDERING ON THE LUDICROUS
Davis plan for open Irish frontier exposes ‘take back control’ myth
TORY Brexit plans plumbed new depths of farce yesterday when ministers confirmed they want an open border with Ireland.
Anti-EU campaigners persuaded millions of Britons to vote to quit last year by claiming Brexit would “take back control” of our borders and curb immigration.
Now senior Brexiter David Davis is proposing no passport or Customs checks at all on the Irish frontier.
The Brexit Secretary said: “We’re making sure UK and Irish citizens will continue to be able to travel, live, work and study across both countries.”
Critics are asking how this will give the Tories “control” of immigration from the EU when migrants would simply be able to cross the open border before taking a ferry from Northern Ireland to Scotland.
The Tories are desperate to avoid a “hard border” with Ireland because of fears it would destroy the Good Friday Agreement. The Democratic Unionist Party, who Theresa May needs to prop up her Government, are strongly opposed to border controls.
UK Government sources have claimed that tighter checks on work permits could make up for the total lack of border security in Ireland.
But Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Ed Davey said: “This plan has more holes in it than a colander.
“The Brexiteers claimed it was worth damaging the economy to reclaim control of our borders. Now we’re told even this isn’t going to happen.”
Critics also believe the open border would scupper Tory hopes of being allowed to keep tariff-free trade with the EU while also striking their own trade deals with other countries.
They fear the Europeans would block British exports to stop foreign goods which don’t meet their rules getting across the porous Irish frontier.
Labour MP Pat McFadden said the Government could solve the trade and border issues by staying in the Customs Union with our EU partners. But the Tories have already pledged to pull out to appease hardline pro-Brexit MPs.
McFadden said their plans were “not driven by the national interest, but by the Prime Minister’s need to appease various interests within the Conservative Party”.