Blow for Theresa May as Donald Tusk offers Irish veto on Brexit talks progress
3 min read
Donald Tusk has told Theresa May that “the UK’s future lies in Dublin” as he effectively gave Ireland a veto over the Brexit negotiations.
The European Council president said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar would have the final say on whether sufficient progress had been made in the talks so far at a crunch Brussels summit later this month.
Mr Varadkar has demanded that the Prime Minister offer written guarantees that there will be no return to a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland after Brexit.
Following a meeting with the Taoiseach in Dublin today, Mr Tusk said the “Irish request is the EU’s request”, a factor he swiped may be “difficult for some British politicians to understand”.
“There’s no strength without unity,” he said. The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU has created uncertainty for millions of people in Europe. Perhaps nowhere is this more visible than here.
“The border between Ireland and Northern Ireland is no longer a symbol of division but of cooperation and we cannot allow Brexit to destroy the achievement of the Good Friday agreement.
“It is the UK that started Brexit and now it is their responsibility to propose a credible commitment to do what is necessary to avoid a hard border.
He added: "Before proposing guidelines on transition and future relations to the leaders I will consult the Taoiseach if the UK offer is sufficient to the Irish government.
"Let me say very clearly, if the UK offer is unacceptable for Ireland it will also be unacceptable for the EU.
“I realise for some British politicians this may be hard to understand, but such is the logic of the fact that Ireland is the EU member, while the UK is leaving.
“That’s why the key to the UK’s future, lies in some ways in Dublin at least for as long as Brexit negotiations continue.
Speaking alongside his European partner, Mr Varadkar said he believed agreement could be reached in time, but said guaranteed protection of Good Friday Agreement conditions - such as the border- was "crucial".
"On the issues specific to Ireland there has been some good progress, specifically on the common travel area and all the rights associated with it and towards a common understanding of what’s needed to protect the Good Friday Agreement in all it’s parts and crucially avoiding a hard border," he said.
And he reasserted that the Irish would “stand firm” if the UK falls short on their offer.
Labour MP and Open Britain campaigner Conor McGinn said failing to reach an agreement in time for the Eu summit would be “disastrous” for businesses in the UK.
“The clock is ticking and the UK and the EU are still yet to reach agreement on Ireland. If no progress is made this month, the talks will drag on without addressing trade issues until well into next year, with disastrous consequences for British businesses who need certainty,” he said.
“It is crucial that progress is made in the talks and that Brexit does not in any way undermine the current settlement on the island of Ireland. That means no return to the borders of the past and no backsliding on any aspect of the Good Friday Agreement.
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