Having been in No 10 at the time the previous Government supposedly previously agreed to an EU office in NI, I can say that it is not correct, certainly not in the way presented. A thread explaining 1/
In Feb 2019 we were doing everything to get the DUP on side in the 'meaningful votes', why would we agree to something they would so clearly oppose? It makes no sense. It was certainly never signed off at the political level in No 10 2/
The quotes in @tconnellyRTE reporting talk about an EU presence in all Devolved Administrations, which is something entirely different to the office they are now seeking in NI. For two key reasons 3/
First, it implies a much more consular/diplomatic presence to simply keep up links with the Devolved Administrations. That is far less objectionable or controversial & may well have been/be allowed. It is very different to a permanent office to oversee & implement a border 4/
Second, an office under the previous version of the protocol would have done different things. There would have been no customs border to enforce. It would have likely focused on market surveillance & SPS rules. Still tricky ground but less so than customs between GB & NI 5/
As I've noted before, in the end, this all comes down to what the office will seek to do. It is clear some on the EU side want EU officials to be at every check done by UK officials under the protocol. That would not be acceptable. 6/
A more pared back role might be, but then if the role is pared back it is no longer impractical to do this in an ad hoc nature from abroad. We also shouldn't forget that under the protocol, the enforcement mechanisms in NI are the same as for an EU member state. 7/
I think the EU has been over zealous here and played its hand badly. I don't see the UK shifting on this now & it has become a divisive issue for the communities in NI. This is precisely the opposite of what is needed 8/
If the protocol is ever to be implementable on the ground it needs buy in from both communities. Steps should be being taken to try to generate this. But the EU is doing exactly the opposite with this approach. 9/
I hope setting out the reality of the UK position at the time (in my name) makes it into @tconnellyRTE reporting, to give a more balanced view compared to the partial briefing from unnamed EU sources. 10/ ENDS
