Ireland says UK cannot unilaterally scrap border backstop
While there has been progress made on customs arrangements for an emergency Irish border fix, there is still no agreement on its lifespan
Dublin — Ireland is willing to examine ways in which a “backstop” to keep the Irish border open after could be reviewed so long as it does not permit Britain to unilaterally walk away from it, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Monday. The sides in the negotiations have signalled progress on agreeing customs arrangements for an emergency Irish border fix but differences persist on the lifespan of the so-called “backstop”. British Prime Minister Theresa May raised the possibility of a review mechanism for the backstop in a phone call on Monday with Varadkar that she had sought to update him on the current state of the talks, the Irish government said in a statement. “The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) indicated an openness to consider proposals for a review, provided that it was clear that the outcome of any such review could not involve a unilateral decision to end the backstop,” the statement said. “He recalled the prior commitments made that the backstop must apply ‘unless and until’...
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