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UK PRIME MINISTER Theresa May will visit Northern Ireland today to give a speech on Brexit.
May is set to reaffirm the UK’s commitment that there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic post-Brexit.
With less than two months until Britain is due to leave the EU on 29 March, concerns are growing over the risk of a no-deal Brexit.
During her visit to the North, May will also meet with local businesses and community groups.
The trip to the North comes as May’s government met yesterday to discuss alternative arrangements to the Irish backstop with a working group including Eurosceptic MPs, as three days of talks begin today.
‘Alternative arrangements’
The Alternative Arrangements Working Group – with Leave and Remain MPs – met for the first time yesterday after the House of Commons voted for May to seek alternative arrangements to the backstop.
EU officials have insisted that the deal – which has been rejected by Westminster – is not open for renegotiation.
But May wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that she would be “battling for Britain and Northern Ireland” in her efforts to get rid of the agreement’s unpopular “backstop” provision.
The so-called backstop is intended to ensure there is no return to a hard border with Ireland, but Brexit supporters fear it will keep Britain tied to the EU’s customs rules.
MPs voted last week to send May back to Brussels to renegotiate the clause, suggesting that her deal would then be able to pass after it was roundly rejected in parliament last month.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney said the withdrawal agreement does allow for alternatives to the backstop – but only if they work.
He said the problem has always been that none of the other ideas around alternative arrangements for the border have actually “stood up to scrutiny”, he said.
“We certainly haven’t seen any that have,” said Coveney.
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They’ve had a massive 2 and a bit years to come to an agreement. They spent most of that time bickering, making promises, going back on promises, and coming up with wild new plans (like a Brexit with all the benefits of full EU membership, without the costs). Give them more time and they’ll be at it forever.
@ianglen: Yea still wanting the cake and eat it agreement.
She can fxck of back to England
Permanently no border is the solution. Significant Majority in North of Ireland voted to remain in Europe. Significant Economic reports now evidence that a one economy state of Ireland would financially benefit all people living on this island. See #think32 website. #irelandsfuture
Only DUP and Tories self interest and preservation is holding back a shared and progressive country.
Rinse & repeat!
T Mayhem is showing all the signs of pseudo last minute attempts to visit every rock pool so she can say that she did so, and then in a Tory champagne super nova, lead the mother of all crash outs
@Eugene Walsh: that’s it in a nutshell. She knows she’s screwed so she’s flapping about trying to look like she’s taking the fight to Europe (the old enemy) and the Irish. It’s all for show, for someone to blame when Britain crashes out of the EU in a few weeks time
She should of stayed in the uk. She is only buying time to ruin it for everyone she had a lifeline thrown at her and ignored it.
@TechBuzz Ireland: if you are referring to her visit to Northern Ireland she is staying in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
@GClare: jesus you’re clever. Missed the point..
“You’re not seriously suggesting I go there?”…. says May to her press secretary
A short memory is no cure broken promises.
What time will her spaceship from Planet Zog be landing at?
This was never going to be an easy transition & whether you agree or disagree the EU were never going to make it easy for anyone to leave!
@Colette Kearns: The only ones making it difficult for the Brits are the Brits.
@Colette Kearns: If you’re leaving a golf club, you only have the choice of following on (No deal) or staying.
The golf club isn’t obligated to make you a deal and you can’t argue that they’re making it difficult to leave. Especially when out of nowhere they do offer you a deal and you refuse it!
@Colm A. Corcoran: yeah and you hit ireland in the face with a nine iron and keep going on about the hole in one you got 30 years ago, that and, all the other members don’t like you and your crap at golf anyway, when you leave all the other members have a party and draw puctures of you in the sand having sex with china
@Colette Kearns: totally inaccurate. At 11pm on the 29th March 2019 the UK will leave the EU. Article 50 clearly states that all existing treaties also cease. The negotiations that the UK and EU have been doing for the last 2 years is how the two will proceed from that date. The EU cannot “make it difficult” to leave as they have no say in that. The EU can and rightly should negotiate the best deal for trade from that point onwards.
In the Europa hotel no doubt……
She can’t be trusted !!
Where does she go when looking for help against Russia?
EU
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