Thread by @hayward_katy

Sir Graham Brady plans to table an amendment the Withdrawal Agmt (WA) bill to make it law that Alternative Arrangements (AA) to the #backstop must be in place by end of transition period.
So, he says, the backstop wd still be in WA text but it wd be clear it'll never be used.
1/7

Brady says the proposal would simply be bringing forward the #AlternativeArrangements from the Political Declaration up front in the UK legislation implementing the WA.

The rationale is that by making backstop unusable, it will create a majority for the WA in the Commons.
2/7

Brady says EU & UK govt have to recognise that his AA amendment is only means of passing WA.

He admits he is yet to persuade the PM but claims that "Downing Street has people actively engaged in looking for alternative arrangements" to the #backstop.

3/7

But PM's reticence isn't the only challenge Brady needs to overcome.

1. If amendment says AA wd kick-in (& not backstop) if future UK-EU rel'ship not agreed/doesn't meet commitments re: @BorderIrish,
then UK legislation implementing the WA would directly contradict it.

4/7

2. The Political Declaration doesn't present Alternative Arrangements.
It just promises UK & EU will be active in looking for them.

So the new Brady amendment wd make it law that the most knotty problem of #Brexit would be resolved by something that doesn't currently exist.

5/7

3. How would AA address the movement of these products 👇across the island of Ireland with no new checks or controls at or related to @BorderIrish even after after UK diverges from EU rules?
6/7

Worth listening to Graham Brady's interview here, c. 13 mins in.
Also talks about May's plans to step down.
📻
The Week in Westminster - 11/05/2019 - @bbcradio4

7/7 [ends] bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00…