Philip Hammond says UK would enforce hard Irish border if there is a no-deal Brexit
3 min read
Britain would have to impose a hard Irish border if it leaves the EU without a deal, Philip Hammond has said.
In comments that appear to put him at odds with Theresa May, the Chancellor said under World Trade Organisation Rules, the UK would have no choice but to carry out customs checks at the frontier between the Republic and Northern Ireland.
Mr Hammond said: "The challenges around the Irish border are around the legal requirements we will have if we are not in a trade bloc within the European Union to operate the WTO compliant border, which does require checks at the border. That’s what the WTO rules require."
He added: "We are depending on the WTO to regulate our relations with the rest of the world, we will have to comply with the rest of WTO regulations or we will find we can’t enforce our WTO rights against others."
The Chancellor's comments come after Mrs May refused five times to say whether a no-deal scenario would trigger checks at the Irish border.
The Prime Minister would only tell the BBC's Andrew Marr: "If we leave with no deal, we as the UK government are still committed to doing everything we can to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland."
Brussels has insisted there must be a "backstop" agreement to ensure there can be no hard border in Ireland regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.
The admission from Mr Hammond was seized on by campaigners for a second Brexit referendum.
Former Northern Ireland Secretary Lord Hain said: "Today's confirmation by the Chancellor that a no deal Brexit would mean a return to a hard border in Northern Ireland is shocking in its own right, but is made even more so by the fact that just this weekend the Prime Minister was downplaying this very possibility."
The Labour peer added: "No-one voted for a return to the borders of the past, least of all the people of Northern Ireland, but by pandering to the hardliners in her party that's exactly what the Government is now risking.
"The recklessness of the extremists who want to force the Government towards the most destructive Brexit possible cannot be allowed to endanger the fragile peace process in Northern Ireland."
BACKSTOP PLAN
The fresh row over Northern Ireland erupted amid reports that the Prime Minister is considering a major concession on her Chequers Brexit plan in a bid to win over sceptical EU leaders.
According to The Times, Number 10 is planning a "grand bargain" with Brussels which would see Britain mirror the EU's custom union rules on goods beyond the end of the existing two-year Brexit transition period.
Such a move is likely to anger Brexiteers as it would limit Britain's ability to draw up independent trade deals - a key selling point of Brexit.
The Times reports that the close customs ties would stay in place until a technological solution to the Northern Ireland border issue can be found - dropping a previous pledge that any extra period of customs alignment would be time-limited.
A senior minister told the paper: "We need to have a conversation about customs.
"We have to move to unlock the talks and that is going to mean compromising on signing comprehensive free-trade deals immediately."
Mrs May is meanwhile said to be facing resistance from the DUP over plans to accept increased regulatory checks between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK as she tries to break the deadlock in talks with the EU.
A DUP source told Sky News: "The PM understands our red line. No new border in the Irish Sea. Respect the economic and constitutional integrity of the UK."
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