An attempt is being made by @SteveBakerHW to render illegal the EU’s Northern Ireland Brexit backstop, which would put NI in customs union and single market but not GB. He has put down amendments to Northern Ireland bill to that effect. This gives government and MPs a...
...massive dilemma. On the one hand, @theresa_may and most MPs are implacably opposed to seeing NI alone in trading area with EU separate and different from that relating to GB, because it would put new border or barrier between NI and GB. But EU reaffirmed...
...on Thursday that this backstop, with no end date, must be in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. So if parliament were to vote to render backstop illegal, it would be voting for a no-deal Brexit. Baker is forcing @theresa_may to choose between the integrity of UK and...
...a negotiated Brexit. This is her worst nightmare
What the leading Brexiter, Baker - who organises the European Research Group of Tory MPs - is doing more precisely is making it impossible for the NI backstop to be introduced without approval of the Northern Ireland Assembly. His reasonable presumption is that...
...this would never happen because a) it is in abeyance with no timetable to be restored and b) even if it was restored the DUP would never vote for it. But in making the backstop only applicable if the devolved government gave assent, he makes it harder for @theresa_may to...
...reject his amendments. You can read them here. publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill…
