Boris Johnson’s leaked Brexit proposals to solve the contentious Irish backstop issue have been rejected out of hand by the Republic of Ireland, as the British PM insists the UK will make an official offer to the EU very soon.
Irish broadcaster RTE reported on Monday night that it had received leaked ‘non-papers’ (background proposals) from the UK officials to solve the intractable Brexit crisis.
RTE’s Europe editor, Tony Connelly, claimed on social media that Brexit plans included a number of “customs clearance centres” that would be located 5-10 miles back from the Irish border. He tweeted that the “centres” would effectively be customs posts and operate on either side of the border.
The EU and the Republic of Ireland, as a key member of the bloc, have consistently stated that any alternatives to the ‘backstop’ must effectively do the same job and not lead to physical infrastructure with checks on the Irish border. Brussels is adamant that the integrity of the EU customs union remains intact post-Brexit.
So, perhaps it’s no surprise that Dublin has given these leaked proposals short shrift. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney gave a harsh rebuttal of the UK’s supposed Brexit plans claiming that the “non-paper” was a “non-starter,” adding that it was about time the EU received a “serious proposal.”
Johnson appeared on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday morning to deny that his government would be officially proposing any kind of border posts, but added: “In the end, a sovereign, united country must have a single customs territory.”
Johnson insisted the leaked Brexit plans from RTE were proposals they had previously tabled and not the ones he would be putting to the EU in the coming days.
The British PM has until October 19 to get a deal agreed with the bloc otherwise UK law states that he must write to the EU Council to request an extension to article 50 and delay Brexit to the end of January 2020.
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