Thank f*** for that. I had a 3-part thread ready to go, slamming the commission over #Article16.
I'll put the it below because it's still useful to say.
news.sky.com/story/covid-19…
I'll put the it below because it's still useful to say.
news.sky.com/story/covid-19…
1/5
If not for the pandemic, the path we were on was going to see the UK government unlawfully allowing unchecked goods into Northern Ireland, forcing the EU Commission to tell Ireland "To avoid a hard border and protect the Single Market, we need France-Ireland border checks.".
If not for the pandemic, the path we were on was going to see the UK government unlawfully allowing unchecked goods into Northern Ireland, forcing the EU Commission to tell Ireland "To avoid a hard border and protect the Single Market, we need France-Ireland border checks.".
2/5
That would put the Ireland in a position of having to choose between being letting Brexit damage peace, being dragged out of the Single Market or uniting Ireland.
That's a horrible position, entirely the UK government's fault, but it avoids any abrupt border disasters.
That would put the Ireland in a position of having to choose between being letting Brexit damage peace, being dragged out of the Single Market or uniting Ireland.
That's a horrible position, entirely the UK government's fault, but it avoids any abrupt border disasters.
3/5
So given that everyone already had that future template in mind...
Why the hell didn't @EU_Commission at least speak to the Ireland first and say "We're really concerned about leaking vital vaccines through your back door. We need stricter checks on anything coming to you."
So given that everyone already had that future template in mind...
Why the hell didn't @EU_Commission at least speak to the Ireland first and say "We're really concerned about leaking vital vaccines through your back door. We need stricter checks on anything coming to you."
4/5
That would have solved the backdoor vaccine delivery problem, avoided any chance of a border down the Irish sea, respected the Northern Ireland protocol, respected the Irish Government and respected the principle of consent under the GFA.
That would have solved the backdoor vaccine delivery problem, avoided any chance of a border down the Irish sea, respected the Northern Ireland protocol, respected the Irish Government and respected the principle of consent under the GFA.
5/5
So while the aim of protection Europe's vaccine supply was noble. This was horrendously bad politics!
So while the aim of protection Europe's vaccine supply was noble. This was horrendously bad politics!
OK, I added two more tweets because I wasn't finished yet when the news came through.
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