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FOUNDER AND FORMER leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, has blamed the European Commission for the uncertain future status of Northern Ireland, claiming the commission is the “only barrier” to a frictionless border.
Farage said that while political opinion in both Ireland and the UK was unified in wanting no hard border between Ireland and the UK, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator is “putting a barrier up” to this goal by saying that customs controls are part of the EU’s management of its borders.
The comments are the latest in what has been an ongoing back and forth between the UK and Brussels about the status of the border, with EU and Irish officials often critical of Britain on the issue – because they decided to leave the EU.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has put the responsibility for resolving the border issue onto Britain. “It’s the United Kingdom, it’s Britain that has decided to leave and if they want to put forward smart solutions, technological solutions for borders of the future and all of that that’s up to them,” he said to much reaction last month.
Former Taoiseach John Bruton has also criticised Britain for failing to “come forward with their own ideas” on resolving the issue.
Seamless border
The Irish government reaffirmed its commitment to a “seamless and frictionless” border, with Varadkar this week saying that he is “very confident” there will be no need for passport controls as “nobody is looking for them”.
Despite this consensus, the issue has become one of the most heated as Brexit negotiations continue, with the UK government’s position paper criticised by officials in Ireland and the EU when it was released earlier this month.
It stated that the UK planned to leave the customs union but called for a borderless trade relationship with Ireland, similar to the one already in place.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said these proposals were “totally unworkable”, while a key EU negotiator dismissed them as “fantasy”.
EU chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier said today that although there had been little progress in Brexit talks, discussions on the fate of the border were “fruitful” with “substantial progress” achieved.
UK position
Farage was speaking on RTÉ Radio One’s Today with Sean O’Rourke, where he was challenged on what appears to be a weakening position by the British government in Brexit negotiations.
When asked about what appears to be a “softened” position from British Prime Minister Theresa May, as well as Labour’s major policy shift that calls for a longer transition period, Farage said he thought the government had “softened significantly”.
He warned, however, of public reaction over potential outcomes of these changes.
If we finish up with continued free movement of people, with a foreign court still having a say over our lives and financial contributions still being made, then don’t underestimate the anger of the British public.”
He further criticised the EU for creating “barriers and obstructions” to the UK’s exit in a bid to make leaving the EU look less tempting to other countries: “I’m certainly concerned about the way the European union are behaving. They’re not applying any logic at all.”
In contrast, he said that the UK government is being “reasonable”.
- Additional reporting by AFP.
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Nigel Farage MEP.
@Larry Doyle:
I don’t have a great deal of time for Farage but sometimes you have to fight the rot from within, and he certainly wasn’t afraid to put it up to the Brussels cabal.
@Sandra O’Fucáif: He’s a crackpot!
@Avina Laaf:
Oh, and he’s right on this one.
@Sandra O’Fucáif:
Not all lies, but quite a few yes. He’s right with this though.
@Sandra O’Fucáif: what did he say that was lies?
In this instance he is quite correct, Britain have been very clear they do not want a border and have given commitments as such, but the EU has not,
@Sandra O’Fucáif: What lies do you refer to?? Farage is spot on about the toxic EU.
@Paul Fahey: Britain is saying one thing and doing another. If they don’t want a border, they can stay in the Customs Union.
@Chris Mansfield: The British people want immigration control, can’t have that in customs union.
@Danny foley:
Really? When was there a referendum on whether to have immigration control? I understood the referendum of last years was about EU membership. Maybe i missed it.
@Danny foley: can’t have immigration control with out a border! Farage is full of xhit!
@Chris Mansfield: so you want them to circumvent democracy? There is absolutely no reason why them leaving the EU and/ or the customs union should result in a border between the UK and Ireland, unless the EU demands it. It seems you would prefer to criticise the UK than to address the facts,
@Paddy: yes you can, why not? Immigrants to the UK from the EU would not have the right to work and the UK would also have the right to remove people from the UK. No airline or ferry company let’s you travel to the UK without ID at present, there would be no need for anything to change.
@Paul Fahey:
1 The vote was to leave the EU, not the Single Market or Customs Union
2 A country can be in the Customs Union without being in the EU e.g. Monaco
3 A country can be in a Customs Union without being in the Single Market e.g. Turkey
It’s Britain which has chosen to put in place a border
@Chris Mansfield: oh dear oh dear, the vote was to leave the Eu, the single market, the customs union the lot, the remain campaign were very open about this and so were the leave campaign. Andrew Neal (see YouTube) has been very vocal about this and the nonsense notion that it was not, now try agin, with fact. Even arch remainers the Guardian recently had an article, by arch remainer Barry Gardner acknowledging that very point. Yawn.
@Chris Mansfield: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/24/leaving-eu-single-market-customs-union-brexit-britain-europe
@Paul Fahey: sorry Paul, the question on the paper was to leave the EU only. The rest is open to interpretation…very perdictable interpretation in your case.
So Britain wants immigration control but no border and you claim the EU are being difficult!
They’re position is a joke and no amount of logical back flips on your part will change that.
Wonder has he packed in his seat and given all the money back that he had no problem taking from the EU..what a p…k
@Paul Fahey: and several leading Brexiters claimed Britain would not leave the single market and numerous examples have been posted here which you have conveniently ignored.
Anyway…who cares who the Brexiters are going to blame for the dog’s vomit of a “plan” they fooled their electorate into?
Its their business not ours.
It’ll hurt us but we have options and the rest of the Union to trade with.
@Paddy:
I agree with you Paddy
If Ireland has an open boarder with the north we will be inundated with refugees
Close the boarder
The British had no problem with a boarder years ago
They are looking after their own interests
Our Government should use these negotiations as leverage
@Danny Rafferty: The Irish understand that Brexit is a hole in the fence for lowering of food standards (hormone beef, chlorinated chicken, GM food) so our agri-food sector has a lot to lose once the UK trade deals kick in. This is no project fear, this is the economy of smuggling with a big difference.
@Larry Doyle: Wrong again Nigel. There is no alternative to a border. The EU can’t allow UK to be in the customs union. There would be a queue of countries having exit referenda.
@Avina Laaf: Its the EUs fault? Hahaha!
Who has been delaying any form of talks? Who thought you could leave the EU without any real changes to trade deals? Who thought you dont have to honour your debts if you leave the EU? Who said they would get 300million+ a week if they left the EU? Who said the EU were ‘punishing’ britain? Who said they would leave the britain if brexit turns out to be very bad for britain?
Nigel farage said all those things. Why should he be telling nothing but the truth on this issue? All he ever said is to create hatred towards the EU. Anybody who listens to him does not use facts to base an opinion. He is, and always will be, an untrustworthy crackpot….
@Danny Rafferty:
Of course you can have immigration control without a hard border – it’s not just about physically preventing illegal immigrants from entering.
Sure, some illegal immigrants may end up working in the black market for years before authorities can catch up with them, but that’s a very different thing to having benefit entitlements, right to work etc. etc..
@Andy K:
I don’t recall commenting on any of that stuff other than saying Farage had told some lies.
@Ger Murphy:
And there you hit the nail on the head – the EU cannot allow Brexit to be a success (they actually said that word for word) for fear of contagion.
They’re determined to punish Britain at all costs, and the fools in Ireland (you and me) will once again be the collateral damaged, our best interests sacrificed on the altar of Bruxelles.
@Paul Fahey: Paul I honestly can’t understand how you and others on this thread don’t get this by now. What Britain has asked for is IMPOSSIBLE to deliver, i.e. you cannot leave the customs union and have no border between NI and ROI. If you did, then there would be no checks on any trade coming into ROI from NI and onwards into the rest of EU. Quite simply, IT WOULD LEAD TO WIDESCALE SMUGGLING and make the customs union pointless, as it is based on common standards and regulation. And you won’t have that if you have a gaping hole into a market that is not agreeing to abide by the same standards and regulations across their economy.
@Danny foley: Yes they could as Britain wasn’t in the Schengen zone & could maintain their own borders.
@Oscar Leary:
The point is that’s more the EU’s problem than the UK’s.
@Avina Laaf: No Avina that’s wrong. To assume that would mean that you assume that the EU regulations are better in every area- which is not necessarily true. But my argument is clear – Britain put forward an unworkable solution. There is not a single example of a non existent border (i.e. no customs checks) between two countries in the world that do not already share a customs union.
@Oscar Leary:
You missed my point. If the EU wants a customs border then the onus is on the EU to put one in place.
It’s irrelevant that it was a decision by the UK that created the conditions the (in the eyes of the EU) warrant one.
It’s a bit like your neighbours painting their house a colour you don’t like and you then expecting them to put up a fence so you don’t have to look at it.
@Avina Laaf: FOM already allows for the removal of those who are unable to find work and/or are illegal. So the immigration angle is a red herring. The majority is non EU anyway.
TOTAL BS and obviously so.
@Avina Laaf: I agree that the eu will want a customs border if the uk pulls out of the customs union. My argument is that so will the uk as not having one will erode consumer trust (think horse meat scandal). The uk is only playing politics here and positioning themselves to apportion blame on others when the inevitable happens and a hard border becomes required (unless of course a customs union deal is not done for the north). Brexit is looking like a fools game for them with next to nothing being achieved and a whole lot lost.
He’s right of course. Governments of both the Republic of Ireland and Britain want to maintain the current border situation, the EU is the only impediment.
@Tommy Duke: you say EU like we are not part of it?!?
@Tony Gordon: if our democratically elected government can reach agreement with another sovereign state than the EU’s opinion should be irrelevant. The EU is an Anti-democratic, anti-soverignty body.
@Tony Gordon:
As usual the decision will be made in Brussels and imposed on Ireland. After the events of the last decade I’m amazed that anyone still thinks they have our best interests at heart – nothing could be further from the truth.
@Tommy Duke: the UK don’t care if the border is maintained they are simply using it as a bargaining chip to get their way!
@Tommy Duke:
He’s not right, you clown. It’s an inevitable consequence of the UK’s choice to leave the EU. The British are imposing this change on Ireland. End of.
@Tommy Duke: We signed up to the club, so we live by the club rules. We are either in or out.
@Avina Laaf: THEY (meaning we are not represented) ‘THEY’ = ‘US as well’
@Paddy: do you have any proof whatsoever the UK do not care about a border, because everything suggests otherwise.
@Fred Jensen: how is it end of? So the fact the EU are the ones who may demand a birder is irrelevant?
@Tony Gordon:
Didn’t think I’d have to spell it out for you, but ‘THEY’ as in powerful vested interests in places like France and Germany, for example the private German banks which Brussels forced the Irish taxpayer to bail out.
@Tommy Duke: You don’t speak for all of us Tommy. They want their cake and to eat it?
Well it’s our cake. Ours. We slice it the way we want it.
@Avina Laaf: glad we are governed from Brussels. We’ve proved we are unfit to do our own budget. “If I have it, I’ll spend it and if I don’t, I won’t”. Sure why isn’t the Healey-Ray lad who believes in fairies minister for finance??
I thought it was the British occupation that was causing the border problem
@Benjamin Dolan: LOLLOLOLOL
Why do you give this idi*t airtime?
@Ferg: his opinion means nothing. He is a liar, he lied to the people of Britain and is responsible for a lot of misery. I don’t see him as an expert and not worth interviewing.
The only thing that made the border an irrelevance was both countries EU membership.
It’s beyond ludicrous and really an absolute contortion of logic to try to turn the UK unilaterally leaving the EU into the NI border somehow being the EU’s fault.
The British and Irish states had a customs border from 1923 to 1993, when the single market was completed to a level that removed intra EU customs entirely.
It was that change that made the border finally disappear entirely and with the improved security situation in the 1990s it vanished entirely as it was irrelevant.
The CTA never covered movement of goods and services and if that’s what we’re falling back to, we will see a NI border that looks as it did before 1993, just without the active security issues.
People are misremembering (I suspect quite deliberately) how things worked between Ireland and the UK pre-EU and before the Single European Market. There was no UK-Irish customs union and you got stopped at the border with your shopping.
I suspect that the aim in the Brexit camp will be to attempt to blame the EU for Northern Ireland’s situation and divert attention from the fact that it’s being caused by UK isolationist politics.
Northern Ireland is probably the best example of how the EU allows borders not to matter and created an environment where a conflict about national identity and sovereignty could be cooled, calmed and a way of coexisting became more possible.
Brexit is just a return to old-school nationalism and with that comes borders!
@David Kelly: well said
@David Kelly: and Deborah. Well said. Farage is a trouble maker, we don’t want the likes of him here. Ireland has done well from the EU, opened up people’s minds and opportunities, a chance to study, live and work in the EU. We are too dependant on the UK. We must turn to the EU more, What about more supermarkets from say France?
Lidl and Audi are doing well here, no exchange rate uncertainty unlike Tescos
Sir Nigel Farage the only man with any sense in Europe,the rest of the politicians in europe care more about appeasing islamic extremism than they do about protecting there own citizens,
@rich jezzer: Sensationalist nonsense. The Brits want their Brexit but none of the drawbacks. They voted Brexit then claim to want an open border with NI. OBVIOUSLY this is going to cause issues but the Brits will claim the EU is the one “forcing” border checks upon them. Brexit is British policy.
@Carl Nolan: he’s just a troll. Rarely makes sense. Best ignored.
@rich jezzer: __ He hasn’t been knighted, nor will he be.
@George Harvey: Farage stands up for one thing only – Farage.
EU wouldn’t use Ireland to suit it’s agenda now , would it ?
Yes they will, are and did…
@Willy Malone: and are, and out moronic politicians don’t even ask for a pillow to bite on.
Would love him to set up a party here, not one of the 156 TDS in this country is willing to play hard ball with the EU over our “so called” sovereign debt.
All “yes men” and cowardice towards Angela and Mario.
@Trevor Hayden: What rubbish, there’s nothing courageous about telling people whatever they want to hear and then retiring early on a generous pension or three. While Jonathan Sugarman has to rely on friends to eat.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: I admire johnathan’s honesty fiona, and was at his seminar but the so called “fighting Irish” have lay down and continued to be whipped by Europe, yes Nigel farage is a multimillionaire but i only wish we had at least one politician that would tell Europe to “f€€k off”.
Renegotiate our “paddy power style” bondholders debt or we’ll join the UK in calling article 50.
The Irish Government and the EU have already made a perfectly reasonable suggestion about the Border question. For the purposes of Trade and Travel move the Border into the Irish Sea. The only reason the UK Government have rejected this is that the need the support of the DUP to avoid being brought down in the UK Parliment.
@Mick Jordan: that was Simon Coveney and the Irish government who mooted that, not the EU, try again. The EU have been very unwilling to discuss the border, they want to discuss the bill.
@Paul Fahey: Actually Paul the Chief EU negotiator thought it was an excellent idea even mentioning it in a press conference the other day.
@Paul Fahey: but what about the idea itself? How does the UK block people crossing and claiming asylum? Or is the ability just to remove people enough?
@Paul Fahey: and why shouldn’t we have the bill settled first? We’re perfectly entitled to demand that and I hope our negotiating team sticks to that line like glue.
@Danny Rafferty: what bill? The EU has even acknowledged there is no legal standing to payment whatsoever, none.
@Paul Fahey: The EU have asked the UK to give them what they think they owe. And as yet they have refused to answer. If the reckon the owe nothing why not say “we owe you nothing and will pay you nothing” and be done with it.
@Paul Fahey: That’s a lie Paul.
@Mick Jordan: Good point there. DUP lol!
Uk gov spending all its time has I call creating an atmosphere that everything that doesn’t work is the eu fault. How farage is now working for the tories I don’t know.
If it spent more time addressing the issues rather than trying to blame thd eu we might be better off.
You know something. He is right.
Nigel, the xenophobe, wants to ensure the U.K. maintains an easy open border with the EU to send their undesirable visitors over.
From Calais to Dover to Belfast to Cavan will be the new refugee route.
The euro elite want nothing more than a hard Brexit for the UK, they want the British public and their economy to suffer for daring to leave, which if successful would be a deterrent to any other EU member thinking of exiting.The question is now though, if the EU demand that of the Irish government that there should be a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland, who holds sway? Can’t imagine our bed wetting europhile politicians going against their masters.
@Remy: The UK could completely avoid a Hard Brexit by agreeing to the terms set out by the 27 EU states in the negotiations. So Hard or Soft is entirely in the UK’s hands.
@Remy: WRONG.
The British want out of the customs union and to stop immigration. To claim this can be achieved without a border is a laughable lie. The only reason why it is remotely acceptable to English right wing nationalists is that they couldn’t give a damn about Ireland; Republic or Northern.
It is a fantasy and unworkable and the proposal should be given no oxygen whatsoever.
They are wasting time with their “proposals” which are nothing more than brainstormed suggestions. They are playing for time and should be given none.
@Danny Rafferty:
If you recall the election result, it wasn’t “English right wing Nationalists”, it was the British electorate that voted and won the election, being Nationalistic doesn’t automatically mean right wing. stop being so hysterical.
@Remy: Yes the majority of the British who voted believed what they were been told by the likes of Farage , The EU also needs to take some of the credit though. Their open borders policy has a negative effect on working class areas , perceived or otherwise. Just get on with it , if negotiations are not working ,close them down and organise for the alternative .
He’s right. This FG ‘we are part of the 27 vs Britain’ crap is jepoardising tens of thousands of Irish jobs, and for what? More pats on the head from Merkel.
@The Risen: How many job loses if we were to leave the EU???….We are in the EU and should stay there. This is the UKs problem. They will inevitably blame Brexits failure on the EU!
@The Risen:
We are the EU27. I look forward to the British on their knees begging Ireland not to veto their transiton and trade deal.
@Fred Jensen: Still dosplaying how clueless you are fred. At least you’re consistent.
* displaying
@The Risen: You still haven’t answered the question how many people would end up on the dole if we left the EU?
@Mick Jordan: probably the same amount if people who lost their jobs straight after Brexit, none. The UK currently has record employment levels, record vacancies and very low unemployment, but hey who needs facts when you can just listen to the threats that are constantly thrown out for anyone who considers leaving the EU.
@The Risen: you are right, Fred did not even know you had to multiply a quarterly figure by four to get an annual figure, say it all.
@Mick Jordan: Lisbon, YES to Jobs, remember that. So what are the Eu doing for the Apple jobs in Ireland or the other US multinational jobs we have? They are not doing anything to protect them, to the contrary, they want to remove the tax rate and thus really cost us thousands of jobs, but hey who needs facts,
@Paul Fahey: Would you like to see 10′s of thousands on the dole so you could feel better? What is one of the main reasons those Multi Nationals are here? Would it be that we are inside the EU? And why are so many companies looking to relocate out of the UK now they are leaving? Even Nissan the UK’s biggest private employer have recently stated they will review their status in the future depending on the outcome of Brexit. The UK ends up in World Trade rules there will be a mass exit of jobs from the UK.
@Mick Jordan: no, just responding to your nonsense point.
@Paul Fahey: So a pertinent question about mass unemployment is nonsense to you?
@Mick Jordan: I did answer, but you did not like the answer as it clearly illustrates the EU attitude to Irish jobs. In fact look at their attitude to employment outside of Germany, particularly youth unemployment, which is up to 50% in parts of the EU. But, again, you won’t like that either, because it illustrates the true nature of the EU.
@Paul Fahey: My question was about Irish unemployment if we left the EU? You seem to want to deflect the question and make about something that was not asked. So I will ask you rather than the Risen whom the original question was asked of. How many people do you think would loose their jobs if we were to leave the EU?
Paul you haven’t a clue, I work for an us multinational and if we left the eu my job is gone. Another west Brit reading murdochs drivel
@The Risen: So you’d rather lick up to right wing tory policies? You want pats on the head from Borris? I’ll remember that next time I see Pearse’s likeness.
@Paul Fahey: record employment as a member of the EU. We have already lost farming jobs as a result of their silliness and will lose more and you have the naked gall to seek facts.
Your posts are jokes Paul aren’t they?
@Danny Rafferty: so, you accept the companies are still investing in the EU despite knowing Britain is leaving? Now, please explain why these companies would invest billions if the country was going to financial ruin? And anyway, I thought Britain was going to sink the day after the Brexit vote. Hilarious, are you arguing for or against, hard to figure it out.
@Mick Jordan: how is it deflecting? You rattle in about the EU and jobs, an argument you introduced, and I pointed out that the EU are looking to harm our corporate strategy not help it. What do you think will happen if the EU are successful in removing our tax strategy?
That is not deflection it is responding to your ill thought out statement.
@Paul Fahey: Still not answering the Question I asked you. I will try again. How many jobs do you believe would be lost if we left the EU? 10,000? 20,000? 50,000? 100,000? Surely you have an idea. Personally I would put it at the high 50,000′s. So let’s say 50,000 people are on the dole. That’s 50,000 not contributing into the economy, not paying income tax, going into debt with mortgages, bills etc all on top of those on welfare. And each year the unemployment would grow as domestic businesses went down due to loosing out on sales to the continent. So say 5 years after leaving we find ourselves in the same position we were in the 1950′s/60′s. Totally dependent on the UK for trade, mass migration out of the country, non existent infrastructure spending.
@Mick Jordan: Mick, seeing as though you seem to be an authority on the subject, why don’t you answer your own question for us mere mortals..
How many jobs will be lost if Ireland leaves the EU?
@The Risen: Have a read of my last post to Paul. You will see that I have. But as you have now decided to pipe up would you care to tell us what your answer to the original question is? Or will you run and hide again?
@Paul Fahey: read your last statement back Paul. It’s you who’s not making sense. I’ve never believed sensationalism on either side – too long in the tooth – Britain’s poor will suffer but the fat cats and unelected Lords will be fine.
Companies invest where they see opportunities. There will continue to be opportunities in Britain – but there will be more here in the EU.
Also, thanks to Nigel, we’ve just received a 15% reduction to a significant portion of our national debt. Despte difficulties I see plusses all over the place for us. Roll on the Brexit.
Can the Media stop giving these loons airtime. That Ray Kinsella article in the IT yesterday was outrageous, and a disgrace to UCD that they have hired such a simpleton.
Notice how the people making cranky, contrarion and off the wall statements are invariably men over the age of about 55/60? I’m thinking Ray Basset, Ray Kinsella, Tom McGuirk, Gay Byrne, Nigel Farage, John Redwood…the list goes on.
Maybe i’ll turn into a f’ing moron when i hit that age too. Might be part of the aging process.
@Fred Jensen: I Voted for Brexit and as i sit here today i don’t regret it one bit and neither does the majority who voted to leave, and what you mean stop giving those Brexit people air time ?? you trying to shut down free speech to suit your left wing agenda ?? the British people were lied to from the moment we joined the EU we were told it was a common market but instead they wanted to make europe into a superstate and now were leaving at long last !!
@rich jezzer: Will you regret it in 5-7 years time? That is what needs to be asked then.
@rich jezzer:
You think i’m left wing?
You know the likes of Corbyn doens’t like the EU because he thinks it’s too right wing and pro market. So which is it? You Brits just beleived what the tabloids told you.
@Mick Jordan: nope cause Brexit wasn’t about economics it was about who has the power to make and create laws in the U.K we don’t want laws imposed upon us from clueless socialist dictators in the EU, you’ve got dictators in europe saying democracy is the lynch pin of the EU but just remember the lisbon treaty ??
@rich jezzer: eh which means there’s a percentage of people who voted to leave who now regret it, and given how close the result was haven’t you just kind of said that if the referendum was re held it wouldn’t pass!
@rich jezzer: So if the UK economy is a shadow of what it currently is and unemployment is rampant with seriously high inflation it will be worth it??
@Mick Jordan: sounds like you are quoting project fear there and what happened to their projections?
@Mick Jordan: If Buts and Maybe’s your hoping brexit fails but as the Japanese prime minister said today the UK is and always will be an important trading partner even after Brexit thats why we signed a multi billion pound deal to buy trains from them for our new HS2 and not just that but also a partner against north korea thats why were sending British troops to japan to train with the Japanese while also sending HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier once she’s fully operational with a few more frigates and nuclear subs, not bad for a tiny country hey HAHAHAHA
@rich jezzer: Exactly the UK is “buying” from Japan. Just as the UK will have to buy in the majority of its food. And with Sterling dropping like a stone buying is going to get far more expensive. And when things get more expensive inflation rises. So with a weakened currency and rising inflation and World Trade rules being applied. The future doesn’t look all that bright.
@Paul Fahey: Paul I am not living nor do I plan to live in the UK so I really don’t care if they rise or fall. I am looking at the UK as I would look at Zimbabwe. Watching to see with mild curiosity if they destroy their own economy.
@Mick Jordan: so you compare one of the world largest economies with Zimbabwe, says more about you than anything else. How much trade does Ireland do with Zimbabwe? How many Irish jobs are reliant on Zimbabwe? How many Irish people and people of Irish ancestry live in Zimbabwe? How much money did Zimbabwe lend us at favourable rates after the banking crisis?
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
@Mick Jordan: carol vorderman eat your heart out hahaha your basing your argument on the fact that sterling won’t recover but JP Morgan have already said sterling will recover ending your argument, and yeah we buy from japan so does ireland we buy nissan cars toyota’s its called free trade, I know you and many in ireland and europe would love Brexit to fail but fact of the matter is the world is far far bigger than the tiny continent of europe and ireland is going to be stuck with countries in europe that is going to want to strip more powers and laws from ireland so that the EU fully controls every move you make just look at the apple case hahaha
@rich jezzer: I look forward to the day when you will regret it.
@Paul Fahey: ‘Project Fear’ is a term the Brexiteers used in order to counter genuine concerns about the situation Britain would find itself in. It played to a nationalistic tune but really was an isolationist non idea.
@Paul Fahey: Where do you think the UK will source most of its Agri/food produce from after Brexit? Will the UK buy US or South American Beef? Australian Dairy? South African Pork? Ukrainian Wheat? Because even the UK’s MAFF have admitted that at full capacity the UK could only produce enough food for around 40% of the population. So it is a simple case of having to import food. And who happens to supply a large part of the current UK imports of food stuffs? I believe we do. We have been the UK’s larder of centuries.
@rich jezzer: As I said to Paul I don’t care if the UK rises or falls after Brexit. I am watching out of a mixture of amusement and curiosity.
@Mick Jordan: You just took the words out of my mouth. The UK will regret Brexit. Now Mrs May says she wants to stay after 2222.
@Mick Jordan:
That’s not what MAFF said at all. They said that that’s the current situation but that relatively straightforward changes in agriculture practices could increase that figure significantly.
@Avina Laaf: The UK has not been in a position to feed itself for centuries. During both World Wars they came close to starvation and would have starved without Irish food imports. With a population of 70 million mainly living in urban areas it would take a min of 20 years for UK agriculture even come close to being in any way self-suffecent in food production. So if they end up with WTO rules after a hard Brexit. Their necessary food imports will cost double and triple what they do now. Higher food costs = higher inflation couple that to a low value pound and the spiral upward begins.
@rich jezzer: It really should be people like you who are strong brexiteers along with Mr Farage , Mr Johnston , Mr Redwood etc doing the negotiations , you won the day , do the business , out on Zero day , pay nothing , hard borders (can’t be anything else) trade wars , which Britain will won of course , yep I would really like to see you guys having to do the business ,
@rich jezzer: Fyi the Eu is the second largest economic block in the world.Have a think about that,if you can drag yourself away from that bag of Bolivian marching powder, that is.
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@rich jezzer: Don’t you mean a country of tiny minds?
The EU are hilarious talking about borders when they opened the entire southern and eastern frontiers to economic migrants who continue to swarm in by the hundreds of thousands.
@Eamonn: these where people fleeing war & death from Syria & Iraqi you faceless lying racist fool.
That’s strange – most normal people would blame Farage and Britain for the North’s uncertain status.
not often you see an open sewage pipe spraying shite in the street glad farage isnt covered more
Brexit is the problem not the EU you cannot have your cake and eat it.
@Donal Carey: bang on Donal. OUR CAKE.
THIS is all gamesmanship ,and who do you think piggy in the middle is ,for christ sake surprised you could not see this a mile away .
Do we a need border, you can’t sell drink, cigarettes, fuel from UK at moment without paying taxes could the same not apply to anything else. Same way goods from the far East get in but usually get caught.
I’d offer good money that half of the people who voted ‘Leave’ weren’t even aware there WAS a border, let alone have the faintest interest in what their misguided act of self-harm would do to it.
@Tordel Back: A good bet most Brexiters couldn’t tell you if the North was in the UK or that the republic is a sovereign state. Britain has only just discovered what cranks the DUP are because they weren’t paying attention.
He still around ??
The UK is but will not put down an actual position on NI border, UK and EU citizens and exit bill. Both agreed to this but the UK now wants to have its cake and eat it. There will be no point in discussing any trade deals, customs etc until them 3 points are settled. Until dealt with anyone of the EU27 can veto and indeed will. The EU will not give into little Englanders and their anti foreigner guff. May, Norris and Davis are arrogant idiots that can pee off
Who the hell cares what this liar says?
Be in no doubt what Farage wants and that’s jurisdiction over the RoI’s entry points to manage Brexit UK’s immigration and customs process on their behalf. He wrote Brexit on a beer mat and has no clue what to do know apart from blame Johnny Foreigner and traitors.
have your say