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> I have no idea why the extreme brexiteers find this idea so objectionable? Because it's a slippery slope that looks very much like ceding territory. It's not
by yholio 8y ago
> I have no idea why the extreme brexiteers find this idea so objectionable?
Because it's a slippery slope that looks very much like ceding territory. It's not just border checks, but Northern Ireland would be effectively in the EU as far as customs rules and tariffs. Otherwise, you could circumvent the EU tariffs by importing in the UK, moving the goods "internally" to NE then loading them on a truck and unloading somewhere in the rest Ireland.
This differentiated regime would strengthen economic ties with Ireland and weaken those with Britain.
- derriz 8y agoDo you object to the Good Friday Agreement? Because its fundamental principle is that the constitional status of Northern Ireland was a matter for the people of Northern Ireland alone. If the vast majority of people in NI are happy to be part of the EU customs zone and allowing them their wish (in the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement) also allows brexiteers to turn the rest of the UK into a Singapore (Reece-Mogg) or a Venezuala (Corbyn) as they see fit without any encumberance from the EU, then what's the problem? I just don't get it. A year ago, some of the leading voices of the Brexit movement were advocating special customs zones to be set up around the UK, once free for EU competition rules. There were news stories with brexiteers advocating a Tyneside Customs zone, for example. Why is it fine for Tyneside to be have a separate customs zone to the rest of the UK but not Northern Ireland?
- philwelch 8y agoThe alternative is a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which the UK specifically agreed not to do in the Good Friday Agreement. A hard border, combined with the overwhelming preference of North Irish to remain in the EU, increases the chance of a successful North Irish referendum for unification with Ireland. If the UK allows such a referendum and Ireland unifies, then the UK is ceding territory anyway. So there's really a no-win scenario assuming that the UK leaves the EU customs union. If the UK wanted to commit a further violation of the Good Friday Agreement and act to prevent an Irish reunification referendum, or ignore the results of one, the Troubles would very likely start all over again, and the UK would be in no position to negotiate any kind of cease-fire because they would have demonstrated twice over that they can't be trusted in such things.
- stale2002 8y agoNo, the alternative is not a hard border. The alternative isnfor the UK and ireland to simply refuse to enforcr a hard border and dare the EU to do it if they are so upset about customs. What, is the EU going to station troops there, because of trade deals? Neither Ireland or the UK are interested in enforcing any sort of hard border. It is instead the EU who would become unhappy about broken trade deals.
- derriz 8y agoThis seems to be the "magic" solution for all the logical inconsistencies of the brexit position - ignore the problem and pretend it will magically solve itself. Know of any other land borders between different customs regimes which take this approach?
- umanwizard 8y agoIreland is part of the EU.
- lozenge 8y agoIreland are not making plans for a hard border, even in the case of no deal.
- Tomte 8y ago> What, is the EU going to station troops there, because of trade deals? Hopefully yes. I don't want to eat some toxic food that nobody checked when it entered the EU.
- stale2002 8y agoIf this happened then the EU would suffer the negative consequences of stationing troops there. IE, they would become the target of terrorist attacks. I doubt they would want this to happen to them.
- deleted 8y ago