Eire cornered?

If the UK leaves the EU under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, then Ireland will be in a tight corner.

Ireland depends on access to the EU via the UK. Irish freight rolls across the UK from the ports on the west coast to the Channel ports. Whatever restrictions are placed on trade at the Channel ports will be doubled for Irish freight because they will also apply at the west coast ports.

Ireland could send more of its freight on the direct ferry to Cherbourg, but that journey takes three times longer than the trip to Holyhead and it lands the lorries at the top of the Normandy peninsula, hundreds of miles from where they want to be.

The EU has encouraged Ireland to “stand firm”. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been delighted to be treated as one of the big boys for a change, but now he is beginning to realise that they are ruthless enough to let Ireland go to the wall rather than make concessions to the UK.

The EU are taking a tough line over Brexit, but it is at Ireland’s expense. Leo Varadkar is young and inexperienced, so the EU has got away with it. So far.

Now, with no deal looming up, Varadkar has at last realised that any pain inflicted on the UK will apply doubly to Ireland. Angela Merkel flew to Dublin to reassure him that he is not just a pawn in their game, but not much has changed in the EU negotiating stance.

Some concession on the land border in Ireland would be a way out of the impasse. It would facilitate the deal and enable the UK to complete Brexit without further damaging delay. The question now is – can Varadkar negotiate a border with the UK? And will the EU let him?

LES REID Morton Street, Edinburgh