Brexit – More British Government Threats

Brexit never made economic sense. The proof is playing out daily in Britain with falling trade and labor and goods shortages. It never made sense in the North of Ireland. It ran the risk of creating a hard border. It was rejected by the majority of people in the North and imposed by London.

A compromise was agreed by London and the EU that prevented a hard border on the island of Ireland, known as the Irish Protocol. This was part of a legally binding international agreement that came into effect at the beginning of the year.

The British government failed to put in place the necessary work to implement the new arrangements and threatened to abandon the agreement that was negotiated over three years.

They raised concerns with the practical impact of the protocol on trade from Britain to the North of Ireland but offered little in the way of solutions.

The British Government has inflamed and promoted political and paramilitary unionist opposition to the protocol and ignored the vast majority of citizens and business leaders who want the issues resolved.

The EU visited the north and spoke with community, political, and business leaders. They listened and three weeks ago produced a series of proposals that would resolve the practical issues of implementing the agreement.

The response of the British Government, bank these solutions and raise a new objection to the agreed role of the European Court of Justice. This was not a contentious issue during the negotiations. It is fundamental to EU law. It had not been raised by business leaders. The objection is an invention of the British Government.

The British are again threatening to suspend the agreement without a contingency in place.

A former senior adviser to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the British Government never had any intention of honoring their agreement.

Boris Johnson came to power on the back of Brexit and anti-EU sentiment. The failure of Brexit is clear to see. The British Government may use the EU as a scapegoat for their own Brexit failures.

The same government is inflaming unionist opinion and pursuing their fight regardless of the impact on Ireland or their obligations to the peace agreements.

Both parties in Congress and President Biden have been clear; an agreement made must be an agreement honored. There cannot be a hard imposed on the island of Ireland.

The talks between the EU and British Government are continuing