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Varadkar says Ireland is stepping up plans for a no-deal Brexit Varadkar says Ireland is stepping up plans for a no-deal Brexit
(about 1 hour later)
The Irish prime minister has said his government is stepping up preparations for a no-deal Brexit as politicians in the Republic and Northern Ireland turned on Sinn Féin for not taking up its seats in Westminster to help defeat the government on knife-edge trade and customs votes. Ireland is stepping up contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit as Theresa May prepares to visit the Irish border.
Leo Varadkar said the instability in Westminster meant there was no guarantee that a withdrawal agreement, even if agreed in Brussels, would get passed in London. The Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said the instability in Westminster meant there was no guarantee that a withdrawal agreement, even if agreed in Brussels, would get passed in London.
“We can’t make assumptions that the withdrawal agreement will get through Westminster,” he said. “We can’t make assumptions that the withdrawal agreement will get through Westminster,” he said. “It’s not evident, or not obvious, that the government of Britain has the majority for any form of Brexit, quite frankly.”
“It’s not evident, or not obvious, that the government of Britain has the majority for any form of Brexit, quite frankly. Because of this the government would step up plans for a “no-deal scenario”. Because of this, he said, his government would step up plans for a “no-deal scenario”.
His deputy, Simon Coveney, will brief the cabinet on Wednesday at a meeting in Kerry about contingency planning, including the recruitment of extra customs officer for ports and airports. His deputy, Simon Coveney, will brief the Irish cabinet at a meeting in Kerry on Wednesday about contingency planning, including the recruitment of extra customs officer for ports and airports.
Coveney told RTE’s Morning Ireland on Wednesday that the Brexiter amendments to the customs and trade bills were “unhelpful”. There has been concern that an amendment guaranteeing that there would never be a border in the Irish Sea makes a backstop on a special deal for Northern Ireland impossible. Coveney said he did not accept that the amendment made the backstop illegal. On Thursday May is due to arrive in Northern Ireland for a two-day visit. She will visit a border area and meet businesspeople to hear their views. On Friday she will give a speech in Belfast about the government’s Brexit white paper and how it addresses the Irish border issue.
The Irish plan comes as Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator for Brexit, prepares to advise 27 member states at a council meeting on Friday to deepen contingency planning. A 15-page draft review of the white paper, seen by RTE, says the consequences of no deal “will be very real for citizens, professionals and business operators”. She is also due to meet the main Stormont party leaders to try to kickstart a new round of talks on restoring power-sharing in the devolved assembly.
Separately, Sinn Féin has come under concerted attack north and south of the border by rivals who say its seven MPs could have defeated the Brexiter amendments had it abandoned its Westminster abstentionist policy. Concerns have been raised that an amendment to the customs bill passed in the Commons on Monday night making a border in the Irish Sea unlawful will leave the prime minister unable to deliver a backstop solution for Northern Ireland in the event of no deal.
“The refusal by Sinn Féin to take up its Westminster seats has plunged the British PM into the clutches of the hard Brexiteers again. Government wins knife-edge vote by wafer thin margin,” tweeted Charlie Flanagan, the justice minister and a member of Varadkar’s Fine Gael party. The amendment, supported by Kate Hoey, the Northern Ireland-born MP for Vauxhall in London, went through on a nod on Monday night and makes it illegal for the government to enter into “any agreements under which Northern Ireland forms part of a separate territory to Great Britain”.
The refusal by Sinn Fein to take up its Westminster seats has plunged the British PM in to the clutches of the hard Brexiteers again. Government wins knife edge vote by wafer thin margin. #Brexit https://t.co/yS7S55mC4d May said on Wednesday: “I’ve been clear we will not accept the imposition of any border down the Irish Sea and we will preserve the integrity of the UK’s internal market and Northern Ireland’s place within it.”
Stephen Donnelly, the Brexit spokesman for Fianna Fáil, which is in a supply and confidence government with Fine Gael, also criticised the party. Coveney told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland on Wednesday that Brexiter amendments to the UK government’s customs and trade bills were “unhelpful”. He said the law banning a border in the Irish Sea could be trumped by the Good Friday agreement, which gives voters the right to self-determination and has the status of an international treaty. Coveney said he did not accept that the amendment made the backstop illegal.
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator for Brexit, will advise 27 member states at a European council meeting on Friday to deepen contingency planning. A 15-page EU draft review of the UK white paper, seen by RTÉ, says the consequences of no deal “will be very real for citizens, professionals and business operators”.
Separately, Sinn Féin has come under concerted attack north and south of the border from rivals who say its seven MPs could have defeated the Brexiter amendments had it abandoned its Westminster abstentionist policy.
Charlie Flanagan, the justice minister and a member of Varadkar’s Fine Gael party, tweeted: “The refusal by Sinn Féin to take up its Westminster seats has plunged the British PM into the clutches of the hard Brexiteers again. Government wins knife-edge vote by wafer thin margin.”
Stephen Donnelly, the Brexit spokesman for Fianna Fáil, which is in a supply-and-confidence government with Fine Gael, also criticised Sinn Féin.
Westminster #Brexit vote to keep UK in the Customs Union lost by five votes tonight. Sinn Fein's 7 MPs could have changed Brexit completely, safeguarding Northern Ireland & jobs in the Republic.Westminster #Brexit vote to keep UK in the Customs Union lost by five votes tonight. Sinn Fein's 7 MPs could have changed Brexit completely, safeguarding Northern Ireland & jobs in the Republic.
Sinn Féin has operated an abstentionist plan for 100 years, standing for elections in Northern Ireland but not taking its seats. It has seven MPs, and rival politicians say it could have defeated the government this on the trade bill, which was passed by just six votes, and amendments to the customs bill, which were won by three and four votes. Sinn Féin has operated an abstentionist policy for 100 years, standing for elections in Northern Ireland but not taking its seats. . The trade bill was passed by just six votes, and amendments to the customs bill were won by three and four votes.
“Hardline Brexiteers won last evening’s Westminster vote because of Sinn Féin abstentionism,” the Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, said.“Hardline Brexiteers won last evening’s Westminster vote because of Sinn Féin abstentionism,” the Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, said.
In the referendum, Northern Ireland voted 56% in favour of staying in the European Union, but these constituents have no representation either in Westminster or Belfast, where power-sharing has not been restored 18 months after the collapse of the Stormont assembly. Sinn Féin has consistently defended abstentionism, saying it won its seats on the back of the policy. It is the first time in years that Sinn Féin’s abstentionist policy has come under such a concerted attack. The health minister, Simon Harris, also criticised the party for not taking its chance to influence Brexit policy.
At an event in Dublin on Tuesday, Flanagan said the situation at Westminster was on a “knife edge”. The votes had placed “serious doubt” over the fate of the UK government’s Brexit customs plan, he added.
“Votes are very tight,” said Flanagan. “There are seven lawfully elected Sinn Féin MPs – they could tilt the balance in their favour if they wished. I acknowledge it is a long-held position of Sinn Féin, one of abstentionism. I am not a supporter of boycotts or abstaining. There may well be an opportunity now to reverse that on the part of Sinn Féin.”
Colum Eastwood, the SDLP leader, tweeted: “To those who say Westminster doesn’t matter – wake up. Our future is being torn apart by the British government. Abstentionism is not acceptable. Sinn Féin gift Theresa May a win over Brexit. SDLP MPs would have been there to stop Tories.”
I get the history & I understand the fact that abstentionism is a policy pursued by Sinn Fein but surely now when there is a chance to positively influence the Brexit situation and therefore help Ireland - North & South - using your key votes in Westminister is necessaryI get the history & I understand the fact that abstentionism is a policy pursued by Sinn Fein but surely now when there is a chance to positively influence the Brexit situation and therefore help Ireland - North & South - using your key votes in Westminister is necessary
It is the first time in years that Sinn Féin’s abstentionist policy has come under such a concerted attack; the health minister, Simon Harris, also criticised them for not using their chance to influence Brexit policy. Northern Ireland voted 56% in favour of remaining in the EU in the 2016 referendum.
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