What is the Brexit backstop? Here’s what it means for Ireland
THE Prime Minister insists that any new Brexit withdrawal agreement should not include the infamous Irish backstop.
But what is the backstop and why has it been such a sticking point?
What is the Irish backstop?
The Irish backstop is essentially a safety net that would prevent the reintroduction of a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit.
Under the agreement negotiated by Theresa May, the UK would enter a transition period after officially leaving the EU during which it would remain a member of the body’s economic zones, namely the single market and the customs union.
This would give the Government time to agree the details of our new trading relationship with the European Union and businesses time to adjust with minimal disruption.
The backstop would only come into effect once the transition period ends, before all the details of the new relationship had been worked out.
In the event the backstop came into force, Northern Ireland would remain a member of the single market until a trade agreement had been reached to keep the border effectively invisible.
That would mean goods crossing the Irish border would not be subject to checks for customs or product standards.
The whole of the UK would also remain in a common customs territory with the EU, meaning there would be no “tariffs, quotas, rules of origin or customs processes” applied to UK-EU trade.
The arrangement would keep the Northern Irish border open and minimise economic damage, but would also mean the UK would temporarily have to go on following the EU’s rules and regulations without having a say in deciding them.
Why is it blocking Brexit?
The near-invisibility of the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland was a major achievement of the peace process that brought the Troubles to an end.
Communities on both sides of the border worry that the return of border checks could revive social, cultural and religious divides that have been fading in recent decades.
During the Brexit negotiations, the European Union listened to the Irish government about what the return of a hard border would mean, and has insisted that any withdrawal agreement should include a backstop.
The backstop became a major sticking point when Theresa May was trying to get parliament to back the withdrawal agreement she had negotiated.
Why has the Irish backstop been controversial?
Many Conservative MPs refused to vote for Theresa May’s deal because, were the backstop ever to come into force, it would leave the UK without a vote in deciding the EU’s rules and regulations but still temporarily subject to them.
The DUP, a Northern Irish unionist party that currently has 10 MPs in the House of Commons, refused to accept the backstop because it might leave Northern Ireland in a different customs arrangement to the rest of the UK.
It was also feared that the backstop could remain in place indefinitely, which could make it difficult for the UK to strike its own trade deals with other countries outside the EU.
Boris Johnson twice voted against Theresa May’s deal in Parliament, in part because he objected to the backstop, but decided to back it the third time May put it before the Commons.
He repeated his criticism of the backstop while running for the Conservative leadership, and since becoming Prime Minister has said he would not agree a deal that included a backstop.
He has said the backstop could be replaced by alternative arrangements to avoid the need for physical checks on the Irish border, though hasn’t specified what those arrangements would be.
What are Boris Johnson’s border plan proposals?
Boris Johnson has opposed the backstop saying it is antidemocratic and could trap the UK in the EU’s customs territory.
Under the Prime Minister’s plans, checks would take place away from the actual border.
He has suggested that physical checks would only be required on a small proportion of trade and most checks would take place on the premises of the trader.
This would be similar to the arrangement Norway and Sweden have and allow inspectors from each other’s jurisdictions to carry out checks anywhere on all of Ireland.
Mr Johnson’s plans have some similarities to the backstop idea.
Northern Ireland would continue to follow EU regulations on areas such as agriculture, food safety and industrial goods, while the UK would not be obliged to.
But with Mr Johnson’s idea Northern Ireland’s Executive and Assembly would have to approve following the single market arrangement.
Then Stormont would have to decide whether or not it wanted to continue following the rules or side with the UK every four years.
On October 2, 2019, the PM unveiled his five-point plan to end the Brexit deadlock.
What was Ireland’s reaction to Johnson’s plans?
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the latest Brexit proposals from Mr Johnson do not fully meet the agreed objectives of the backstop.
A spokesman for the Irish government said a conversation between the two leaders was “constructive and useful” but added there was “more work to be done”.
Mr Varadkar indicated that he would study the proposals in further detail, and would consult with the EU in the coming days.
Sinn Fein president said the new proposals must be rejected, adding the plan would effectively give the DUP a veto.
A spokesperson for Fianna Fail said the plans were “not realistic and fall very far short of what is required.”
Labour leader Brendan Howlin said it was “hard to see how the Ireland-specific Brexit proposals could work if the UK departs from EU standards and rights”.