Irish PM Varadkar shuts down hard border fears over “no deal” Brexit

Republic of Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has shut down concerns over a hard border being implemented in Ireland, in the event of No Deal.

At a media briefing after the publication of a 131-page document which outlines Ireland’s contingency plans for No Deal, Varadkar said his government has made “no preparations whatsoever” for a hard border in Ireland. He stated that it would become a “self-fulfilling prophecy” if his government started making the plans.

He also said:

“The answer I’ve been giving people all along is the honest truth…We’re not making plans for a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Our focus is entirely on getting an agreement that ensures that doesn’t happen.”

The Republic of Ireland has published its own contingency plans for No Deal, including plans for border inspections to be implemented at Rosslare and Dublin ports, and Dublin airport. And, by not revealing any plans for a hard border, he’s essentially doing the same as the UK government. We have no plans, they have no plans…it’s almost as if they both know that a hard border won’t be necessary!

In fact, today, Jacob Rees-Mogg succinctly explained how there won’t even be a need for an Irish backstop within the Withdrawal Agreement if Ireland has no plans of implementing a hard border. Varadkar surely thinks that not unveiling a plan means No Deal, won’t happen, but it could well backfire.

In a tweet, Rees-Mogg said:

“No deal means no hard border so no need for the backstop.”

Which is true, isn’t it? The whole purpose of the backstop is to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland – but nobody is even planning one in the first place! Could it be (shock horror!) that the government is totally incompetent and unwilling to negotiate a deal that actually makes sense?

One thing we can take from all this is that, no matter what happens, there will not be a hard border in Northern Ireland. This whole issue has been manufactured from the start by the architects of betrayal in Theresa May’s ever-rotating cabinet to implement a terrible “compromise” Brexit deal.