Politics

DUP wants out of EU customs union, says Ian Paisley jnr

Party leader Arlene Foster spoke of wanting a ‘sensible Brexit’

Ian Paisley jnr in 2007. He is reported as saying: ‘All the guff around a soft or flexible Brexit, we read as really no Brexit.” FIle photograph: Eric Luke

Amanda Ferguson
Sun Jun 18 2017 - 14:51

A senior DUP politician has claimed his party wants out of the customs union as part of "hard" Brexit, according to online reports.

BBC journalist Andrea Catherwood has reported on Twitter comments attributed to the North Antrim MP Ian Paisley jnr saying the DUP will not countenance a "soft" Brexit.

“Breaking: DUP want out of customs union @ianpaisleymp tells me ‘A soft.. Brexit we read as no Brexit and that we will not countenance’,” Andrea Catherwood wrote on Twitter.

Mr Paisley has since retweeted the message.

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Ms Catherwood then went on to tweet: "We believe in properly and fully leaving the Custom Union" @ianpaisleymp tells me. V clear on #DUP desire for hard #Brexit."

She also posted a link to Dalkey Book Festival, where she was filmed reading out Mr Paisley’s words.

“All the guff around a soft or flexible Brexit, we read as really no Brexit,” she said.

On Friday, DUP leader Arlene Foster spoke of wanting a "sensible Brexit", of wanting a "frictionless Border" that works practically for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland but respects the overall UK leave vote in the EU membership referendum last year.

The DUP has so far not issued an official statement on Mr Paisley’s comments.

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