Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DUP: We’ll not support being trapped in EU
» Foster’s warning for Bojo’s deal » Party will not U-turn on backstop
ANY Brexit deal that traps Northern Ireland in EU structures will not get DUP support, Arlene Foster warned yesterday.
The DUP leader said her party would only back a withdrawal agreement that is in Northern Ireland’s “long-term economic and constitutional interests”.
Ms Foster acknowledged there had been a lot of speculation as to what had happened during Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in England.
The positive read out from Thursday’s encounter, followed by the intensification of UK and EU negotiations, has prompted suggestions both sides could be poised to make compromises on customs arrangements, to avoid border checks.
It came as Brexit talks entered the secretive “tunnel” stage in a boost for the PM’S hopes of securing a deal before the October 31 deadline.
Mrs Foster said her party would exercise its “considerable influence” in Parliament to stand up for the region.
DELIVERED
She said: “The referendum result delivered the people’s verdict and it must be delivered. To do otherwise would be anti-democratic.
“We have been consistent in our opposition to the backstop, whether UK or NI only, and anything that traps Northern Ireland in the EU, whether Single Market or Customs Union, as the rest of the United Kingdom leaves will not have our support. The Prime Minister is mindful of that.
“We have argued that it is important to secure a balanced and sensible deal as we leave the EU.
“These issues will only work with the support of the unionist as well as the nationalist community.”
Ms Foster stressed the importance of local politicians giving democratic consent to any arrangement that might align the region with specific sectors of the single market.
She said: “We have held steadfast to that position whilst recognising the need to be flexible and look at Northern Ireland specific solutions achieved with the support and consent of the representatives of the people.
“In order to secure a sensible deal for everyone it is important EU understands that to maximise the prospects of agreement there will need to be a clear acceptance that the economic and constitutional integrity of the whole of the UK will have to be respected as we leave.
“As a consequence of the mandate given to us by voters in 2017 the DUP is very relevant in the parliamentary arithmetic and regardless of the ups and downs of the Brexit discussions that has not changed.
“We will judge any outcome reached by the Prime Minister against the criteria above.”
Last night Boris Johnson refused to give a “running commentary” on the negotiations, but said his three-hour meeting with Leo Varadkar on Thursday had been crucial to finding a way forward.
He said: “We can see a pathway to a deal. That doesn’t mean it’s done.”