Brexit’s smoke and mirrors - Delusions of the mandarins

THERE is a serious medical condition known as Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. It includes, among other things, intense and overt hallucinations, seeing things that are not there and misinterpreting events and situations.

Judging from the way the debate over Brexit has drifted, it would appear that some politicians and commentators are suffering from a variation of this condition. It is very evident among political leaders in Dublin, London and Brussels.

Most of them have managed to convince themselves and each other that there will not be a hard border on the island of Ireland even if the UK leaves the European Union in March without a withdrawal agreement.

That is a fantasy worthy of the Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll because the border will be not just between Ireland and the UK but between the EU and the UK.

It is worthy of the principal British Brexiteers who foresee a glorious future for the UK once it leaves the union. They ignore the fact that many British businesses are extremely concerned about the implications of Brexit, exemplified by the exodus of a number of multinationals from the UK.

It is also worthy of the fantasy indulged in by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney who continue to insist a hard border will not happen. At the very least, they need a reality check before we all go down the rabbit hole.