Thread by @faisalislam

NEW

UK-EU trade war would be “shocking” & “unnecessary” Taoiseach Micheál Martin tells BBC at #WEF22 saying he did not want to detail and “hopefully” will not have to contemplate EU tariffs against UK exports… urging negotiators to “get in the tunnel” bbc.co.uk/news/business-…

NEW

Full excl @BBCNewsnight interview with Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD at 2230 on @BBCTwo … sneak preview…

On who is threatening a trade war
Why object to red-green channel
On what is responsible for fall in GB-Ireland trade
& “enormous help” of a veterinary agreement #WEF2022

NEW: @MichealMartinTD says to me on @bbcnewsnight
“hasn't been engagement by UK on the detail…ECJ wasn't, or isn't core issue in terms of unionism”
Red & Green channels sound plausible?
“get involved in discussions. you can't, ignore and not reciprocate (sefcovic plans)”

Taoiseach:
“Britain signed up to this deal…”
But you knew that it wouldn’t be acceptable to unionism?
“There are mechanisms in the Protocol to resolve issues that haven’t been fully used, and if they had we might not be in this situation” #newsnight

“regret to say, I'm not so sure people thought through implications for Good Friday Agreement when Brexit was put forward”
But net result of these threats is that unionism might be turned away from GFA & Protocol?
“only threat here” is the UK one to tear up an international deal

Taoiseach: “Nobody wants a trade war… it would be shocking and totally unnecessary”
But what are we talking about? The EU targeting politically sensitive UK exports?
“Im not going to get into the detail of that” hopefully won’t have to contemplate… #newsnight

Martin: “get down there & negotiate..get trade people involved”
Think UK Govt playing fair?
“I don’t. I don’t think this is fair. Unilateral legislation not correct behaviour. When countries sign an international treaty it should mean something” not discarded in “cavalier manner”

Taoiseach: “I told Uk PM, leaders of France & Germany don’t want minute checks on everything going into NI, want to resolve this”

“We’re not overplaying our hand, hardly playing our hand.

Britain our closest neighbour and friend… no agenda in Ireland, to pick a row with UK”

Me: GB-ROI trade has been hit

Taoiseach:
“has been hit a bit somewhat. And I think that's because …the UK perhaps was not as well prepared for it.”

So you’re blaming that on Britain?
“not all of it, but it's just a fact Brexit means the disruption of trade” #Newsnight

Taoiseach: “we should work out a veterinary agreement that would help enormously. there are ways of solving this. no doubt about that. I've been at pains to say this to my good friends of the British government that there are ways to solve this, if the will is there to solve it.”

NEW Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD : “I haven't been clear that the will is actually there to resolve this [from UK]. And as I say, we're not clear on the landing zone in terms of what would satisfy the UK Government in the end.”
#Newsnight