Diehard Remainers bang on about a second referendum before Britain leaves the EU. But there’s another referendum rumbling. No, not in Scotland, but Northern Ireland. When Tony Blair negotiated the 1998 Good Friday Agreement the question of who owned Northern Ireland was not answered but parked. Protestant loyalists maintained the country belonged to Britain, while Catholic republicans upheld Ireland’s claim. Power sharing to end 30 years of violence softened attitudes. Tucked away in the Good Friday Agreement is provision for a referendum on Irish unification, but 20 years ago no one imagined it would be triggered. Brexit and the prospect of new border posts dividing north and south changed that - the last one in Newry was blown up in 1972. The Economist magazine says it was no surprise Sinn Fein demanded a referendum days after the 2016 Brexit vote. But now moderate nationalists are also talking about it. And crucially Northern Ireland’s Catholics will soon … [Read more...] about Brexit Countdown: David Davis must Eire on the side of caution over Irish border
David davies
David Davis Says 80% Of People Voted For Leaving The EU Single Market In The General Election
David Davis, the Brexit secretary, has dismissed suggestions that Britain's single market membership was back on the table as a result of the general election, insisting that both Conservatives and Labour agreed it was incompatible with the EU referendum vote.In a round of media interviews on Monday, Davis said the government's negotiating position would remain focused on getting the best possible access to the single market from outside.“Something like 80% of the British people voted for the parties that have accepted we have to leave the European Union,” Davis told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. “The parties that didn’t do that, who wanted to reverse the decision, the liberals and the SNP, have all had setbacks.”He continued: "The reason for leaving the single market is because we want to take back control of our borders – they are not compatible."People voted for three things: control of borders, control of laws, control of money. In order to … [Read more...] about David Davis Says 80% Of People Voted For Leaving The EU Single Market In The General Election
This MP Reckons David Davis Would Back A Vote On The Brexit Deal If He Wasn’t A Minister
David Davis would back calls to guarantee a parliamentary vote on the final Brexit deal if he was still a backbencher, a senior Labour MP has declared.The Brexit secretary has dodged demands to put into law a promise to allow MPs a vote on the final deal, despite mounting pressure from his own side to do so.Chris Bryant, a former Europe minister, told the House of Commons on Thursday that Davis seemed to have ditched his principles since joining the front bench.He said that if Davis "wasn't a government minister now", he would be signing an amendment to the EU withdrawal bill – tabled by ex-attorney general Dominic Grieve – to guarantee a vote for MPs before March 2019."Just in case between now and then he were to lose his job, wouldn't it not be a good idea now to declare that he is going to sign up to that amendment?" Bryant asked.Davis smiled in response, saying: "Would I be signing somebody else's amendment? I'm not sure – I think not, I think not."Bryant told … [Read more...] about This MP Reckons David Davis Would Back A Vote On The Brexit Deal If He Wasn’t A Minister
Michel Barnier and David Davis have yet to solve the Irish border question
Sarah Arnold 19 March 2018 • 3:59pm Today’s joint press conference with David Davis and Michel Barnier almost looked like a big love in between the two entities. The mood was almost joyous when the 138-page draft agreement appeared in the background and Barnier explained the strange colour coded system. Green was good apparently; this indicated the sections the UK and EU agreed on. The sections of white showed the areas that still require agreement. From a distance, the agreement looked rather green. Barnier began his statement by speaking how there was complete agreement on the legal transition discussed in December last year. This gave residential rights to the 4.5 EU citizens in the UK as well as the 1.5 million UK citizens... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium … [Read more...] about Michel Barnier and David Davis have yet to solve the Irish border question
David Davis struggles through interview with a sick bucket by his side
David Davis was so ill on the Andrew Marr Show that a bucket was placed next to him in case he vomited live on air. The Brexit Secretary struggled through the interview despite suffering from a sick bug, with the BBC taking the decision to place a bucket and a packet of tissues next to him in case he took a turn for the worse. Mr Davis, who appeared on the show to discuss this week’s agreement on a transition deal, was praised by the corporation’s editor of live programmes for his “commendable concern for our studio floor”. Rob Burley, who is the former editor the Sunday political programme, joked that while Mr Davis had “made it to the end” he doubted he would be “sticking around for breakfast”.... Register or log in to view this and other Politics articles. It's free and easy to do. Join regular debates with our journalists by commenting on articles Sign up to exclusive newsletters that give you the inside track on Westminster … [Read more...] about David Davis struggles through interview with a sick bucket by his side