Will ‘2 border solution’ win over Brussels?

BORIS Johnson’s radical take-it-orleaveit Brexit offer will involve Northern Ireland remaining in a special relationship with Europe until 2025, it emerged last night.

The plan, which the Prime Minister will unveil today, has been dubbed the ‘two borders for four years’ proposal.

This is because it accepts the need for Northern Ireland to remain in large parts of the single market, creating a border down the Irish sea for four years – starting from the end of the transition period in 2021.

It also involves Northern Ireland leaving the EU’s customs union along with the rest of the UK, creating the need for customs checks between Ulster and the Republic.

These checks would be set back five to ten miles from the border to avoid inflaming nationalist sentiment.

The plan, obtained by The Daily Telegraph, would also give the Northern Irish Assembly a choice in 2025 whether to carry on following single market rules or re-align with the UK.

However, the proposal is likely to face fierce opposition from EU leaders, who will be asked to grant the UK exemptions from EU customs rules to facilitate the flow of goods. They are also likely to claim it risks violating the Good Friday Agreement and integrity of the single market.

Overall, the plan – given to EU leaders – means Ulster will remain in large parts of the single market until 2025, but will leave the customs union along with the rest of the UK, something Mr Johnson has insisted upon.

Mr Johnson’s top adviser, Dominic Cummings,

‘If they reject our offer, that’s it’

is understood to have told other senior aides that the UK will walk away if the EU does not consider the blueprint. He is said to have told a meeting: ‘To be clear, we won’t be hanging around waiting for them to negotiate with us. If they reject our offer, that’s it.’

But EU sources say there is no sign leaders such as French president Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are ready to water down single market protections in order to strike a deal.

It came as it emerged EU capitals have considered putting a time limit on the Irish backstop in a bid to break the Brexit deadlock.

The idea has been discussed in Paris and Berlin as a possible compromise in recent weeks amid tougher rhetoric from Mr Johnson on No Deal Brexit.

However, sources in Brussels insisted yesterday that the option was not yet formally on the table and had not been discussed among all the 27 remaining member states.

It is understood the proposal, reported by the news website Bloomberg, would involve the UK having to accept a backstop that keeps Northern Ireland in the customs union and single market and not the rest of the UK – something Mr Johnson has ruled out.

However, it would have a so-called sunset clause so it could not endure for ever. Officials believe such a clause could be written into the current deal at the 11th hour.

Brussels sources last night confirmed that the idea had been floated, but insisted talk of it was just ‘brainstorming’ in EU capitals. A source said: ‘It’s not been discussed at “27 level” and it’s not part of the negotiations.’ The timetable for a solution to the Irish border conundrum is becoming increasingly tight with a crunch EU summit on October 17 and 18, where the Prime Minister wants to strike a deal. He is expected to table his final offer for breaking the deadlock in a ‘legal text’ either today or tomorrow.

Designed to prevent the return of a hard border in Ireland, the backstop was agreed by Theresa May.

It has been criticised by Eurosceptic MPs who say it could trap us in the EU’s customs regime.