Taoiseach Leo Varadkar admits Ireland should be afraid of No Deal Brexit following dire economic forecast from Irish central bank
UNDER-FIRE Leo Varadkar yesterday admitted the whole of Ireland should be “afraid” of a No Deal – 24 hours after an apocalyptic warning.
The testy Taoiseach said a cliff edge exit would have “very serious impacts on the economy north and south” as he came under attack for his handling of the Brexit negotiations.
But he doubled down on his attacks on No10 by warning a No Deal would have “security implications”.
And he urged Boris Johnson to read the Good Friday Agreement as he accused him of being biased.
Asked whether the PM could be “impartial”, he said: “I think that remains to be seen.”
The blast came after Ireland’s central bank warned No Deal would cost 110,000 jobs across the Republic, slash economic growth and trigger food and medicine shortages.
The Taoiseach refused to countenance a compromise on the Irish backstop in a phone call with Mr Johnson on Tuesday – despite the PM warning it’s the only way to get a deal through the Commons by October 31.
Mr Varadkar’s comments came in another day of dramatic developments.
- Mr Johnson defended the spending of £2.2 billion on No Deal preparation as he chaired his first ‘War Cabinet’ with senior ministers.
- The PM said the Government stood ready to negotiate in good faith – and hoped the EU would “change their mind” about their refusal to open new talks.
- Commons Leader Jacob Rees Mogg said it would be “wise” for the UK to agree to abide by EU rules and laws for a short while after October 31.
- Tory Mark Francois warned that nearly 60 backbenchers would vote down a revised Withdrawal Agreement even if the backstop was stripped out.
Leo Varadkar yesterday insisted his door remained open to Boris Johnson and he was happy to meet without “precondition”.
But the war of words will ratchet up tension with just 90 days left until the new Brexit deadline on October 31.
BoJo clocks on
By Steve Hawkes
BORIS Johnson has told his Cabinet that he hopes the EU will come to the table over Brexit — as he bought a countdown clock for Downing Street.
The PM, with 90 days until the October 31 deadline, told colleagues that his new EU Exit Strategy meant he was committed to leaving on that date “no matter what”.
But No 10 said he stressed that he was hoping “the EU would change their mind about refusing to negotiate”.
They added: “He said the Government stood ready to negotiate in good faith and that clearly the removal of the backstop would be the biggest issue in any negotiations with the EU.”
Photographers spotted postmen dropping off a digital clock in Downing Street yesterday.
Aides said the Wharton timepiece, which costs as much as £587, would be mounted on the Prime Minister’s wall.
The source added that no taxpayers’ cash had been spent on the clock, which is large enough to be seen from 100 metres away.
A similar model has been mounted in the Tory Party’s HQ.
SEVERE BACKLASH
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald warned Boris Johnson on Wednesday that a “crash Brexit” could lead to a security crisis as well as an Irish reunification referendum.
She also warned that any attempt to protect Northern Ireland veterans from investigation would trigger a severe backlash.
Mr Varadkar added fuel to the fire yesterday by “wondering” if those quoting the Good Friday Agreement had even read it.
He added: “It is very explicit that the sovereign government, the UK Government, must be rigorously impartial in how it administers Northern Ireland and we all need to respect the fact that the aspirations about unionist people and nationalist people are equal.”
Chancellor Sajid Javid separately yesterday stepped up the UK government’s No Deal preparations by demanding that HMRC make No Deal work their “absolute top priority” in a blistering attack.
'ACTIVELY OBSTRUCTED'
The Chancellor has told HMRC chief John Thompson he expects weekly updates on work to ensure a “smooth exit” on October 31.
It comes as sources brand HMRC the “unruliest” department in Government over their delays in helping business and getting a new customs declaration regime up and running.
Mr Javid writes: “HMRC must make no deal preparation their absolute top priority as the UK prepares to leave the European Union.
“Earlier this year the Treasury provided HMRC with £375m for EU Exit preparations. I am also making available additional funds to asset with no deal preparedness specifically.”
Brexiteers last night said the Treasury’s new approach highlighted Philip Hammond’s reluctance to adequately prepare.
One said: “It’s only now becoming clear how much the former Chancellor actively obstructed No Deal preparation.”
The Sun Says
THE Government has one job: Get us out of Europe.
And if the EU wants us to do that with a deal, it needs to ditch the backstop.
No ifs, no buts. No time limits, no get-out clauses.
The ONLY way we leave with an agreement is if the backstop is consigned to the dustbin of history.
It’s worth remembering why this Brussels-laid trap would be so damaging to Britain.
It would come into force if we couldn’t sign a free trade agreement with the EU in the second phase of negotiations.
And if it was signed into the first agreement, the EU would have absolutely no interest in working with Britain on the second phase.
We’d be tied to EU rules, unable to sign trade deals with other countries, and forced to choose between leaving the EU and keeping the Union together.
Brussels would have us over a barrel.
The PM has warned Europe that the backstop has to go or we’re not even going to come back to the table.
The Eurocrats and their puppets have made clear that they’re not interested in negotiating in good faith.
Perhaps Boris’s show of strength might bring them to their senses.
RED-TAPE
In a stinging letter to Mr Thompson, Sajid Javid instructed HMRC to step up work on hi-tech arrangements for the Irish border.
But he separated told HMRC to deliver “critical” internal systems and staffing to handle the expected surge in customs checks when the UK leaves the EU.
But he also wants HMRC to do everything it can to support business by pro-actively contacting the tens of thousands of firms expected to be hit by the new checks.
And he’s called on HMRC to “upscale” import control systems to handle new safety and security declarations.
The Sun in February revealed HMRC was planning to waive safety and security checks on hauliers coming to Britain amid fears of travel chaos.
Mr Thompson leaves this autumn after receiving death threats over a warning that new hi-tech customs systems could cost business £20 billion in red-tape.
He also warned that any new system could take three to five years to bed in.
An HMRC spokesman last night said: “HMRC has been preparing for Brexit every day since the referendum.
“The department has led hundreds of meetings with industry representatives, hired over 5,000 staff specifically to support Brexit, communicated with thousands of businesses and stakeholders as well as publishing clear guidance on how to prepare.”
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