THE British Government’s threat to the EU that they would break international law if they don’t get their way in trade talks has brought a stinging rebuke from Ireland.
Dublin Rathdown Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond believes that peace on the island of Ireland itself is at stake.
And he believes too that if they carry out their ultimatum to Europe that Scotland could be forced to undertake their own separate trade deals.
In an article for the eu+me research and innovation project pubished today, he says: “It is no understatement to say that last week has been the most difficult in the Brexit process.
“There have, of course, been fraught moments before but nothing like this. The declaration by the British Government that they intend to breach international law and in turn potentially undermine peace on the island of Ireland was truly astonishing. This week sees the throwing of the proverbial dead cat on to the negotiating table by the British Government in a desperate attempt to use the guarantees of peace in Ireland as a negotiating gambit or to collapse the negotiations altogether.
“Claims by some Brexiteers that this will protect the Good Friday Agreement are risible and frankly offensive.”
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson made it a key plank of his putsch to remove Theresa May from Downing Street over what he saw as a humiliating backdown over different rules applying in Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.
He claimed to have solved the problem of a potential hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland which would come from the UK leaving Europe and he pledged a border in the Irish Sea.
But the British Government’s admission that they would be prepared to break international law over technical issues in their Withdrawal Agreement with Brussels has brought worldwide rebuke over its effect on Northern Ireland.
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Richmond writes: “This week unfortunately has shown the British Government to be an untrustworthy partner and the declaration that they’ll break international law to appease internal political problems has been met with strong opposition beyond the EU too.
“Within hours of Brandon Lewis’s declaration in the House of Commons that the British Government intended to break international law, there was clarity from Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Richie Neal that any attempts by the British Government to undermine the protections of the Good Friday Agreement would guarantee that there would be no US/UK trade deal. Regardless of who wins the presidential election in November, trade deals need to be ratified by Congress, a Congress led by Nancy Pelosi.
“In New Zealand, academics and commentators are already asking is a trade between the UK and New Zealand feasible now that the UK has shown it is willing to break international agreements so willingly.”
Richmond also believes that the British Government’s stance would have repercussions for Scotland. “If the UK continues along these lines, a No-Deal Brexit is inevitable, forcing Scotland to trade with close partners like Ireland and France on the same terms as Mongolia or Somalia.
“There will also be clear sanctions for the breach of international law and the UK will be held up as an untrustworthy partner.
“There is a limited amount of road left to run in this debacle but we’re certainly at the lowest point so far.”
Read Neale Richmond’s article at euandme.com
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