Taoiseach downplays concerns Britain could leave EU without a trade deal

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has downplayed concerns that Britain could exit the European Union without a trade deal, as he began a week-long tour of the east coast of the United States ahead of a crucial week for Britain's relationship with the EU.

The prospect that Britain could leave the EU with no agreement was raised by Brexit minister David Davis on Sunday, who told the BBC's Andrew Marr that Britain had contingency measures in place to leave the bloc if no deal is secured. Foreign secretary Boris Johnson also said that while he expected an agreement, it would be "perfectly okay" for Britain to leave without a deal.

Such a move would likely see Britain revert to World Trade Organisation rules, and would result in the introduction of trade tariffs on goods and services traded between Britain and the rest of the bloc, including Ireland.

The re-imposition of tariffs in the event of a unilateral departure would present particular difficulties for the Border with Northern Ireland.

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Asked by Marr about the effect of Brexit on Northern Ireland, Mr Davis said: “We have put that pretty much as our top priority... We have looked very closely and one of the plans being put together is how on earth we put together a invisible, frictionless Border between North and South.”

Mr Davis stressed the co-operation between the British and Irish governments. “The first foreign trip I made was to Dublin – they’re onside. We are determined to do it. The [European] Commission are on side – the commission, remember, had a part to play in the peace process ... They are absolutely determined in their mind that this is not going to go wrong.”

Article 50

Speaking in Philadelphia, Mr Kenny noted that no decision had yet been made on triggering article 50, and the negotiations had yet to begin on Britain's exit from the EU. "I'd prefer to see the events unfold," he said. "Obviously Secretary Davis is setting out a position they have to consider, maybe that is a warning to the Commons and that's a matter for them to decide."

Mr Kenny said that while he had spoken with Ms May at the European Council last Thursday in Brussels, she had not committed to any particular date for triggering article 50. He said the EU stood ready to respond to any move by the British government to trigger the article of the Lisbon Treaty.

“The European Union will respond […] and issue guidelines within 48 hours if it is triggered. If that is the case the meeting of the European Council to approve the negotiating stance of the EU and the guidelines to be adopted will be April 6th.”

MPs will vote on Monday on two amendments to a Bill authorising the start of formal Brexit negotiations, a move that would clear the way for Ms May to trigger article 50 as early as Tuesday, though there were suggestions from government circles that this timetable could still be delayed.

Powersharing talks

It was confirmed yesterday that Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire will not now travel to Washington DC this week as planned. He had been due in Washington on Wednesday for two days of talks to coincide with the St Patrick's Day celebrations at the White House. Instead, Mr Brokenshire will focus on the powersharing talks which commence this week at Stormont following the assembly elections.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams told the Andrew Marr Show yesterday he considered the partition of Ireland to be “totally and absolutely illegitimate and immoral”. He acknowledged his party had “a job of work to do” to persuade the majority of the population in the North, which currently wishes to remain in the UK, of the merits of republicans’ future vision for the island. In a statement, he claimed that on the back of Brexit, the British government wanted to dismantle critical human rights aspects of the Good Friday agreement and had failed to implement key elements of this and other agreements.