Gove: PM ready to talk about backstop alternatives
THE Prime Minister stands ready to engage with any EU leader about alternatives to the Irish border backstop, Michael Gove has said.
On a visit to Northern Ireland, Mr Gove was asked why Boris Johnson had not taken up Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s invite to Dublin to discuss the Brexit impasse.
Yesterday, Mr Gove, the Cabinet minister responsible for nodeal planning, heard about the potential Brexit challenges facing businesses as he toured Warrenpoint Port in Co Down, which sits beside the Irish border.
Brussels and London remain at loggerheads over the prospect of fresh Brexit negotiations.
The UK Government has said any new negotiations must focus on developing an alternative to the Withdrawal Agreement.
EU leaders insist the deal cannot be reopened but will engage on potential amendments to the Political Declaration on the future relationship between the UK and the bloc.
Mr Gove insisted his government’s links with counterparts in Ireland remain “very good”, despite the Prime Minister’s decision not to as yet take up the invitation.
“I think the Prime Minister has talked to the Taoiseach and there are links at every level between the UK Government and the government in the Irish Republic,” he said.
“We have very good bilateral relations and of course we are also talking to other EU partners as well.
“In the event of a no-deal then naturally there will be issues to be addressed, not just security but trade issues as well.
“We will make sure that we safeguard the security of the people on the island of Ireland and we will also make sure that trade continues to flow as freely as possible.”
He later added: “The Prime Minister is keen to explore with European Union leaders how we can ensure we can have a withdrawal agreement that will pass Parliament.
“He’s talked to leaders across the EU and he stands ready during the course of the next couple of months to speak to any EU leader and pursue with as much energy and openness as possible what alternative arrangements might be which would ensure we can secure an orderly and timely withdrawal from the EU.”