Brexit to blame for border problems

I feel I must correct the contribution from Colin Bullen (October 21) concerning the Northern Ireland border.

According to Mr Bullen “the Northern Ireland border is the product of EU intransigence and the latter’s determination to punish the UK for daring to defy Brussels”.

Unfortunately, this type of comment displays a total lack of understanding of the situation.

The NI border was originally created by an Act of Parliament in 1920 which divided the province of Ulster between the six counties remaining within the UK and the other three counties which would, with the other 23 Irish counties, go to form the Irish Free State, later the Republic of Ireland.

This partition of Ireland caused huge problems over subsequent decades leading initially to the Irish Civil War and later to the Northern Ireland troubles.

The Good Friday Agreement

of 1998 brought peace and the physical border on the island of Ireland disappeared, a process greatly helped by the fact that both the Republic and NI were part of the EU single market.

Brexit upended everything.

The UK government had a dilemma, how to achieve Brexit and honour the commitments it had given in getting the Good Friday Agreement. Theresa

May’s original backstop solution of keeping the UK in the customs union and aligned to the single market was rejected by the UK parliament.

The Protocol was an alternative solution which provided for special arrangements for Northern Ireland thus avoiding having to put a hard border back on the island of Ireland. It was integral to the Protocol that a “trade border” would be required in the Irish sea and this was agreed to by the UK government.

So how has this worked out for Northern Ireland? Well actually quite well.

Trade is booming between NI and the EU. NI businesses and farming have avoided the worst downsides of Brexit. This has led to stronger economic ties between NI and the Republic and much to the chagrin of Unionists is promoting the cause of a united Ireland.

What we are now seeing here is Brexiters decrying the protocol that they once lauded while at the same time being unable to advance any alternative that deals with the problem created by Brexit in the first

place. This is clearly not the result of EU intransigence but is caused by Brexit and the lack of understanding and shortsightedness on behalf of those who promoted it.

Perhaps the solution, and another unintended consequence of Brexit, will be the reunification of Ireland and the break-up of the UK.

If this happens, Brexiters will have no one to blame but themselves.

Michael Daly