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AS IRISH AND EU leaders digest British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s self-proclaimed “fair and reasonable” backstop alternatives, newspapers across the water have been giving their reaction.
First up, The Times splashes with a story saying the EU is withholding approval of the UK government’s latest Brexit plan.
The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, reports that the DUP has agreed to Johnson’s
Brexit plan and Labour MPs suggest they will help it pass the House of Commons, so long as it gets the backing of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
But the i says the EU is ready to reject Johnson’s plan.
According to The Guardian, Johnson “appears to be fighting a losing battle to avoid Britain staying in the EU beyond October 31”.
Over at The Daily Mirror, the Tory party conference “was all prattle and no policy”.
Yet the Daily Express says Johnson’s speech was “barnstorming”.
Finally, The Financial Times reports the the prime minister’s latest plan faces a “frosty reception in Brussels”.
With reporting from Cónal Thomas
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Britain’s Brexit plan = Blame Ireland & Blame Europe.
Nothing has changed. Extension -> election -> referendum -> back as we were.
Brexit, the political Y2K bug for the millennial generation.
@Dara O’Brien: I never understood why Brexit was put to a vote for the people. Has anyone actually seen the dossier? It’s as big an encyclopedia and the government thought that the average Jeremy Kyle contestant Was going to read it and make a balanced decision? This is the reason we have to politicians.. they are the ones who should be making and debating these decisions not the public.
@Peter Cavey: just because you can’t understand doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t.
@Peter Cavey: They knew that the average Jeremy Kyle viewer wouldn’t read it so instead fed those people lie after lie and they lapped it up because of rule britannia and other such jingoistic nonsense.
@Peter Cavey: You find the loudest online voices for the EU are as equally ignorant of the EU.
@Empirical objections: The most unread of what Brexit entails are shouting the loudest Ask any Brexiteer on any issue other than “control of our own borders” and you get a blank stare or worse.
And rightly so ! If the Irish government gives this cock up idea it’s approval they will all be looking for new jobs come the next election ! This plan does nothing to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement . It’s simply moving custom posts from Border area to other areas .
Leave Britain crash out on 31st October . Nothing could be worse than the suspense .
@Mary Mc Carthy: It’s not. You are referring to the leaked ‘non-paper’ from a few days ago. Yesterday’s proposal effectively makes NI part of Ireland from a customs and regulatory perspective with an ‘opt in’ vote to be passed by a Stormont majority to begin and then every 4 years thereafter.
The border will be the Irish Sea, not on land either side of the border.
@Dara O’Brien: And why would the EU give the DUP a veto on single market policy? It’s actually insane.
@Dara O’Brien: I don’t think that’s correct. Under proposals, NI stays in UK customs area, not Irish EU one.
@Adam Kelly: Exactly. But I don’t think Boris was remotely interested in putting forward something that might be accepted. What he sought was something which could be reported in the Sun, Telegraph and Daily Mail as being reasonable so the knuckle draggers would think he’s great and then blame Ireland and the EU for everything thereafter.
That’s the only way he can retain votes for the upcoming election.
@Dara O’Brien: Not customs, that’s the problem and the Orange Veto is never going to fly in 2019 or ever.
@Dara O’Brien: this is likely what will happen alright
@Dara O’Brien: The regulatory border on agricultural and industrial goods would be in the sea…until the DUP vetoes it by using the petition of concern. The Customs border would be bang in the middle of Ireland. Out of the question as is the unionist veto.
@Jerry McCarthy: and @Gerry Ryan deG – can I suggest you read the accompanying 7 page explanatory note where the operation of the customs area is explained further. Despite the opaque wording in the proposal paper, it is clear that NI will act in unison with the 26 counties from a customs perspective.
@Dara O’Brien: you are talking absolute nonsense regarding customs. But leaving that aside the idea that any Irish government would give a veto to a party that gets about 10% of the vote on this island, a veto over the operation of the all Ireland economy, is madness. And not only that but a sword they can dangle over the heads of the people of Ireland every four years?No one, not even the Brits could think that will be acceptable.
@Dara O’Brien: Precisely—– You got it right in one!
@Dara O’Brien: The so called “opt on option” will very quickly turn into an opt out if the DUP has anything to do with it.
@Dara O’Brien: you are wrong
They want the eu to reject a deal so he can shrug his shoulders and say not my fault we ended up in no deal. Heads into a general election and tell al it’s not my fault. He wants no deal.
They could not care less about ireland. DUP represent a tiny part of n ire.
Lets go back to the referendum, false promises, 1 billion a week to the NHS, immigration to stop. 3 million new young voters now, I would take my chance with a new referendum.
@Brendan O’Donoghue: – i agree – 3 million new young voters and perhaps a good few hundred thousand now dead elderly voters too!
“Giving Unionists a veto over the backstop”. Have the British learnt nothing from history?
I think this is Boris (maybe DUP too) climbing down the ladder slowly – I suspect further steps down over the next few weeks.
@Skybloo: interesting report last night that DUP met unionist business leaders. The DUP asked in a hard border no deal if they would sacrifice the union for their business and profits….the business leaders to a man said Yes. For the first time the penny dropped…especially with Dobbs…the ‘castle Catholics and moderate unionists ‘ are gone and if this gets bad and a desperate Britain calls a border poll in a situation of chaos …Larne is back with Tralee..hence the compromise on regulations in the sea….customs will probably follow.
Smugglers paradise. The criminals are already rubbing their hands together.
I think we need someone like a Henry Kissenger to intervene and get everyone that matters to sit down and broker a proper deal..Now who could that person be I suggest Hilary Clinton.
@Marty from Sligo: Keeping smoking that stuff
@Marty from Sligo: you are a top jester
Beginning of the end of corrupt EU. As soon as others see how well Britain does we’ll be queuing to leave!
@John Tierney: LOL. Because it is going so well for them, even before they have left.
Imagine giving the DUP a veto over the ROI/UK border… Laughable stuff …They surely know this will be rejected , was it added so they can take it away later and say look we moved again now your turn, you can be sure they added some more room to manoeuvre so to look like they are trying sooo hard….
They want us checking at Dublin port effectively complicating our dealings with rest of Europe thats what the want when they say Ireland needs to move a bit.. No chance we were getting on fine until England threw this on top of us all, England can take the hit for their own stupidity..Why should we suffer for their stupidity..
Sooner a United Ireland happen the better gotta get them off this Island, its been centuries of pain here for decisions made by little Englanders..
@MickN: imagine the scenario,four years time: Tories in opposition Unionist minority in Stormont yet Dup.still have their veto.who concieved this Lewis Carroll?
@Thomas Devlin: Dublin days No
@Thomas Devlin: Lewis Carroll would be impresses at the audacity of it I’m sure.
Can someone explain to me why customs checks are needed if NI remain in single market for goods?
Genuine question
@Ooby Dooby: Regulatory alignment and customs alignment are different..They are offering regulatory…
@MickN: In other words….. you don’t understand either.
An Orange Veto every four years? How could any Irish government have truck with that ??
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