The Irish Question Could be a Major Problem in Achieving a Post-Brexit Deal with the EU

Simon Coveney and Boris Johnson Credit: FCO flickr

IT would appear that Ireland is going to be a major stumbling block to a successful Brexit deal as the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney said “I’m really worried about where Brexit is going – and I don’t mind saying that publicly.”

His general downbeat observations came within hours on his first meeting with the new Northern Ireland Secretary of State (the fourth in two and a half years) and whilst saying that he doesn´t want to be a “prophet of doom”, he added ““I don’t know whether that is a deliberate strategy, I think it probably has to be, on the British side.

“Prime Minister Johnson has put a cabinet together which is really about ensuring that there is no dissent on the Brexit question.”

It´s all down to the checking or lack of checking of goods moving in and out of Ulster from both the UK and Eire and according to a report in the Sunday Times officials in Taskforce Europe run by the Prime Minister´s European Union negotiator David Frost, they are looking for ways to evade Irish Sea checks on goods going from the mainland to Northern Ireland.

This has been denied by a government spokesman who stated the UK will “comply with its obligations”, but France has also made it clear that it will not support a deal if there is any attempt to evade the spirit of the Withdrawal Agreement.

The UK Cabinet was due to publish its proposal for review by the EU on Thursday February 27.

Written by

John Smith

Married to Ophelia in Gibraltar in 1978, John has spent much of his life travelling on security print and minting business and visited every continent except Antarctica. Having retired several years ago, the couple moved to their house in Estepona and John became a regular news writer for the EWN Media Group taking particular interest in Finance, Gibraltar and Costa del Sol Social Scene. Currently he is acting as Editorial Consultant for the paper helping to shape its future development. Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

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