UK stance on Brexit ‘threatens free travel area’
Edgar Morgenroth, associate research professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute and an adviser to the Government on Brexit, said prime minister Theresa May’s weekend declaration favouring a so-called hard Brexit has realised his worst fears over the potential hard Irish border in trade and people between the North and the south.
“My worst fears have been realised. It is somewhat staggering what they are doing in the UK,” he told the Irish Examiner.
“This hard Brexit line by London potentially imperils the Common Travel Area. The British can decide to allow Irish people to travel to the UK. They can do what they want. But we can’t reciprocate under the EU rules. On the key issues, there are no bilaterals here. It is always the 27 EU countries and the UK. In public opinion, I hear people saying that they will see sense. I am not so sure. They have made up their minds,” he said.
The expert’s comments come as Taoiseach Enda Kenny prepares to present a briefing paper on the implications to Cabinet today.
However, Mr Morgenroth believes a soft border between north and south “is a bit out of reach now” because he believes it is incompatible with prime minister May’s plans. “There is a lot of deviousness happening in their public statements from the British side, saying that we want to maintain a soft border and then doing the opposite. It is not consistent. They are trying to portray the situation in a different way than it really is,” he said.
Mr Morgenroth said London is trying to pretend it’s the EU’s fault even though the British side is creating problems. “That is what they have been playing at in preparing the field to blame the EU for their actions.”
Separately, Chartered Accountants Ireland has called on policy-makers to secure tariff-free trading, free movement of people, and a free agri-food trade agreement between the two countries.
Sterling yesterday fell sharply, sharpening the pain for Irish firms selling across the Irish Sea.
Meanwhile, the erection of a more visible border between the North and South is a strong possibility once Britain’s divorce from the EU is complete, Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has said.
Education Minister Richard Bruton has also warned that there can be no place for “bad politics” or “nationalist policies” in debate around Brexit.
