A HARD COVERSATION ON BREXIT:
Scots leader Davidson put pressure on PM not to give Northern Ireland a special Brexit deal to solve border dilemma
RUTH Davidson lobbied Theresa May to block Northern Ireland getting a special Brexit deal, her closest political ally revealed yesterday.
David Mundell said the Scottish Tory leader pressurised the Prime Minister to stop the province getting access to the EU single market after the UK leaves the trading block.
Avoiding a hard border in Ireland has become the central issue in the Brexit negotiations.
Scottish Secretary Mundell said speculation that Northern Ireland could be given single market access to resolve the logjam was “inaccurate”. He said both he and Davidson lobbied against the proposals because they thought they would threaten the “integrity” of the UK.
Mundell added: “It is not correct Northern Ireland would be in the single market.
“Ruth and I have sought reassurance that there would be no suggestion that we would have a customs border down the Irish Sea or that Northern Ireland would remain in the single market.”
Mundell strongly hinted the UK is set to agree a backstop plan that would keep Britain in a customs union with Brussels until a permanent trade deal can be agreed. He said that would mean all of the UK would operate under the same arrangements.
Mundell added: “We are one country, we cannot have differential arrangements with the European Union. The whole of the UK is leaving the European Union.” The revelations came as Scottish Brexit minister Mike Russell met UK counterparts to discuss the latest developments in the Brexit talks.
Speaking after the joint ministerial committee
meeting, Russell said it had been “heated”, particularly over future migration plans.
He added: “I wouldn’t say it was a blazing row but I think there were very clear feelings from devolved administrations that the policy being presided on migration is simply wrong. It is wrong morally, it is wrong politically.”
He said the customs union plan was a “step in the right direction”.
Russell added: “The only possibility of us supporting anything from this Government is membership of the customs union and single market.”
Nicola Sturgeon has already said Scotland should have the same backstop deal as the EU proposes to keep the Irish border open after Brexit.
The First Minister said Scotland would be at a competitive disadvantage if Northern Ireland remained in a customs union with Brussels and the rest of the UK does not.