Leader of the DUP Arlene Foster; a statement from the DUP this morning

This morning.

The Democratic Unionist Party released a statement saying the party cannot support the current Brexit deal that is being negotiated between the UK and the European Union.

DUP says it cannot support current Brexit deal being negotiated (RTE)

Meanwhile, earlier this morning.

Just after 1am.

RTÉ Europe Editor Tony Connelly tweeted the latest on Brexit:

Ok, here, late in the day, is what RTÉ News understands EU and UK negotiators have agreed as the revised backstop. Bear with me…I’ll break it down into Customs and Consent.

Customs: Northern Ireland is legally in the UK’s customs territory, but would it would apply the EU’s rules and procedures on tariffs.

Northern Ireland would also be aligned with the rules of the single market for industrial goods and agri-food products, meaning both regulatory and customs checks and controls on the Irish Sea for goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

However, the extent of the controls would be reduced thanks to a series of tariff exemptions.

There would be an automatic exemption for personal goods and possessions carried by those travelling back and forth between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, or, for example, if an individual was moving house.

However, there would potentially be a broader category of goods and tradable products that could be exempt from tariffs and controls if there was no risk whatsoever of such goods entering EU’s single market across the land border.

These categories of goods would be decided on in the future by the Joint Committee of EU and UK officials by consensus.

The Joint Committee was established in the original Withdrawal Agreement as a way for both sides to manage the new arrangements.

The intensity and scope of Irish Sea checks would be limited by a risk-analysis. However, the EU would, through the Joint Committee, have a veto over which kinds of goods would enjoy an exemption from tariffs and controls.

There would also be a system of rebates for goods shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland if those goods attracted an EU tariff that was higher than the UK tariff.

Consent: The mechanism essentially provides a qualified opt-out of the revised backstop arrangements via the NI Assembly.

Northern Ireland would take on the new customs and regulatory regime for four years after the end of the transition period, which is due to conclude at the end of 2020.

At that point Stormont would have to take a view as to whether or not to opt out of the new arrangements.

If Stormont voted to opt out, then there would be a two year cooling off period, during which all sides would have to find an alternative way of complying with the Good Friday Agreement and avoiding a hard border.

If at the end of the two years no alternative was found, then the Protocol would lapse, meaning Ireland would be back to a hard border scenario.

However, if the Stormont Assembly were to collapse during that period, then the default would be that the Protocol arrangements would continue to apply (ie, the revised backstop).

But there will be also be important variations on how Stormont votes for a potential exit.

If Stormont decides to use a simple majority vote, which is seen as less favourable to the DUP, then if that vote to opt out does not succeed, then Stormont would vote again four years on an opt out.

However, if Stormont decided to go for a cross-community majority vote, which is seen as more favourable to the DUP, and the vote did not pass, then Stormont would have to wait another eight years before having another opt-out vote.

Complex, convoluted, politically fraught, but does it square the circle? It’s a weighted approach that gives the DUP cover but the opt out might never take effect because if a hard border looms SInn Féin could just collapse the assembly and the default is the revised backstop.

This morning, Mr Connelly tweeted:

Senior EU official: consent issue is not currently the subject of last minute negotiations.

Senior EU official: at a certain point some [leader] will say before we approve the text we need to study it, we fully trust the Commission, but that could be a problem.

Senior EU official: People are waiting for the text, they are waiting to translate it into 23 official languages.

Senior EU official: consent is a key question. Is it the issue which remains open at the level of negotiators? That issue was discussed and there was agreement. But of course nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. But Barnier was clear that on consent there was agreement.

Senior EU official: there could be another summit before the end of October.

EU-UK agreement reached over customs, consent in post-Brexit future (RTE)

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10 thoughts on “DUP Says No

  1. ReproBertie

    Withdrawal Agreement – check
    Backstop – check
    Border in the Irish Sea – check
    DUP objecting – check
    Oh look, it’s 2017 again. Will Britain’s unelected tea-boy Taoiseach be able to swing support for this in the British Dáil? He’s in an even worse position than Taoiseach May was after all.

    1. GiggidyGoo

      Original proposed WA – No
      Original proposed backstop – No
      Still no WA. Still no backstop.
      Cast Iron and Politically bulletproof- No. DUP/UDA no likey.

      The world of ‘if and would’ prevails.
      And 23 countries haven’t had the new proposals translated yet.
      Prepare for a loose ‘understanding’ with hundreds of items that ‘will be looked at in 2,4,6 years’

  2. martco

    DUP are finally starting to understand their place in the scheme of things. not only are their ideals stuck in 1837 but they’re realising just now that middle England don’t share their views on life & don’t give a fupp about them.
    but do they care? do they fupp! I’m just wondering when everyone is finally gonna get that these lads are fundamentalists? they WANT a diamond hard border, always have, if they only they could get trump or the Israelis to build them one, wha? they don’t do reasonable. this last week of drama is just a shiny look at the birdys exercise. everyone bought it too.

    NI is completely let down by its politics, nobody effective there bar Lady Sylvia to represent the ordinary man & woman…just two tribes playing games with everyone else’s lives, enjoying their inflated self-importance & the queen’s trough

    same as it ever was

    I’m just waiting around for the dance to finish & the real question to be finally put. 32 y/n?

  3. V

    Given everything the DUP stand for, which is nothing decent or progressive, or even remotely democratic or inclusive, or even in the vicinity of equality;
    Along with the damage they’ve done to their own communities, I can’t believe I’m saying this either
    But bare with me

    What irks me the most about the DUP today is that they have NO mandate for anything
    They fought every step of the way against the Good Friday Agreement; and still do. Even though they lost. Overwhelming so.
    They fought, and fought dirty, on behalf of the Brexit campaign, and still do. Even though they lost. Overwhelming so.

    Their leader is not a Parliamentarian – and still refuses to go back to act as one, and represent her constituents. She’s afraid to go back to the Assembly and face the music about her own failures (Cash for Ash) and is using the Irish Language Act as her excuse. Which is cowardly, shameful, and downright lousy conduct for an elected official. She couldn’t give a _úck about whether Irish is spoken. Her only use of it is that it gives her room to doss off and hang around the Commons.
    As for that snake Nigel Dodds – lads what I have to say about him, Broadsheet would never survive.

    Yet, here they are with this fake non- existent imaginary veto
    As if they’ve some sway or importance
    Not only are they are party that have been completely invalidated by the Good Friday Agreement –
    Also the various Equality and Pro Choice movements on the rest of the Island. Which is not meaningless here btw, as they are deliberately allowing our fellow Country men and women be discriminated against, be without choice and be denied equality.
    We simply cannot tolerate that anymore.

    They are a party stuck behind a century of evolution and change

    Cop the _úck on lads
    Stop giving them air time
    And stop giving them a voice on Brexit.
    Their own constituents voted against it FFS. If Boris & Co are all about democracy and the will of the majority vote; then be about it.
    The DUP from top to bottom represent nothing but a failed dead politically secretarist bigoted intolerant corpse of party; and they do it for money.
    Suckers!

    1. GiggidyGoo

      Just last week, a UK court ruled that anyone born in NI was a British citizen.
      On the first page of the new proposed protocol, it refers to ‘Irish citizens in northern Ireland by virtue of their union citizenship….’
      And ‘assert their right to Irish citizenship ‘
      Quagmire

      1. V

        The DUP presence is a matter for all us
        Either here on the Island, within the UK and NI or not, the Commons, the Tory party, the Brexiteers, and the EU
        Whatever your citizenship status is, or what colour your passport is.
        We’re all responsible for letting them get this far.

        The fact that they are been given a position at all is the issue
        _úck them
        They only represent the people that vote for them
        And the majority in their own respective constituencies voted against them Twice; in the GFA Referendum and in the Stay or Go Now Referendum
        The majority in these same constituencies want the Assembly to get back to work

        How, not even why, how in the name of Billy, Jaysus, and Norman Whiteside are they been given any spoke at all

        Their handful of votes were bought

        There are 100s of other MPs around Westminster with votes for sale

        Ara’
        I’m giving myself ire now

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