Politics

Foster dismisses reports DUP could soften stance on Brexit backstop

Paper claims DUP said it would drop its objection to regulatory checks in Irish Sea

Northern Ireland’s DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy Nigel Dodds leave from 10 Downing Street on September 10th, 2019, where they met with Britain’s Prime Minister. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images.

Fri Sep 13 2019 - 08:45

DUP leader Arlene Foster has dismissed a report her party will offer UK prime minister Boris Johnson a lifeline to help him unlock a Brexit deal.

A front page article in today's Times newspaper said the DUP has agreed to shift its red lines on Brexit, saying it could accept Northern Ireland abiding by some European Union rules post-Brexit as part of a new deal to replace the Irish backstop.

The paper claimed the DUP, the biggest party in Northern Ireland, had also privately said it would drop its objection to regulatory checks in the Irish Sea, something it had previously said was unacceptable since it would separate Northern Ireland politically and economically from the mainland.

The Times, citing unidentified sources, wrote that in return for such concessions Brussels would abandon its insistence on Northern Ireland remaining in a customs union with the EU.

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However, Mrs Foster insists that, as previously indicated, any moves which did make Northern Ireland different to the rest of the UK would be unacceptable to the party.

“UK must leave as one nation. We are keen to see a sensible deal but not one that divides the internal market of the UK,” Mrs Foster tweeted.

“We will not support any arrangements that create a barrier to East West trade.”

She added: “Anonymous sources lead to nonsense stories.”

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has been warned against breaking the law over Brexit by Speaker John Bercow, who vowed "creativity" in Parliament would scupper a no-deal exit.

The warning came as the EU’s chief negotiator said there is “no reason to be optimistic” that a new agreement can be brokered before the prime minister’s deadline to ask for a delay.

Michel Barnier told political leaders in the European Parliament on Thursday that he was unable to say whether contacts with the UK Government would result in a deal by mid-October.

The PM is legally bound to ask Brussels for an extension to Article 50 if he cannot get MPs to back a deal by October 19th, after Parliament approved legislation designed to prevent a no deal.

–PA

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