University News Last updated 03 October 2019
Leading Brexit academics have criticised Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s latest proposals to manage the UK-Ireland border, describing them as ‘already dead in the water’ and ‘likely to undermine the Good Friday Agreement’.
Dr Steve McCabe, senior fellow at the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University and co-editor of a new book exploring the challenges of the Irish-Northern Irish border in a pre and post-Brexit world, has responded to the PM’s announcement at the Conservative Party Conference yesterday, saying, “Johnson may believe that his bellicose language will force the EU to agree to what he claims to a ‘fair and reasonable compromise’. However, it is notable that very few, apart from the DUP, appear to agree with him.”
Speaking after Boris Johnson’s speech and ahead of the launch of Brexit and Northern Ireland: Bordering on Confusion in London and Belfast later this month, Professor Alex de Ruyter, Director of the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University said, “Boris Johnson’s stance following the conference announcements might play well to a domestic audience but if he really is after a ‘Deal’ then these proposals are unlikely to get a good reception in Dublin or Brussels.”
The compact format book features an exploration of the challenges around the Northern Ireland border, with contributions from 25 distinguished ex-politicians, journalists, writers and academics from both sides of the Irish Sea. Edited by ex-BBC journalist John Mair and Dr Steve McCabe from the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University as well as Leslie Budd from the Open University and Neil Fowler, the book has been produced in just ten weeks from conception to publication.
In assessing Boris Johnson’s proposals, Dr McCabe also remarked, “When a referendum on continued membership of the European Union (EU) was proposed, few really considered the impact of leaving on the part of the UK with a land border to the rest of the EU; Northern Ireland. The past three years have demonstrated exactly why this aspect of departure has proved so difficult. The announcement by Boris Johnson of a revised arrangement that will create borders – no matter how invisible – to deal with trade, the movement of goods and freedom of people to cross the Irish border, are likely to undermine the Good Friday Agreement.”
Brexit and Northern Ireland: Bordering on Confusion includes a foreword from long-standing Northern Ireland commentator Malachi O’Doherty and an afterword by Daily Mail journalist Peter Oborne.
"As Ireland is a member state of the EU, its concerns will be more paramount than any proposals by the UK Government. The Irish Government are particularly concerned about Johnson’s attempt to resurrect a time-limited backstop of four years, and the uncertainty this would entail for the all-Ireland economy. If so, then it looks like Johnson’s latest proposals are already dead in the water (or ditch…). Johnson’s ‘deal’ is that Northern Ireland would leave the EU Customs Union along with the rest of the UK in December 2020 but stay “aligned” with Single Market if the Stormont assembly agrees and then subject it to a vote every four years. But UK Government has requested that both sides sign up to “no checks” on the border even if NI Assembly votes against Single Market alignment. The notion that the Stormont Assembly (assuming it will ever reconvene) could effectively veto the agreement in 2020 and every 4 years thereafter would undermine the Single Market if the EU were foolish enough to agree to “no checks” at the border. Little wonder this has gone down like a lead balloon in Brussels.”
Brexit and Northern Ireland: Bordering on Confusion features contributions from Ray Bassett, John Bradley, Graham Brownlow, Leslie Budd, Edmund Curran, Mary Dobbs, Walter Ellis, Tom Felle, John Wilson Foster, Michael Gilson, Roy Greenslade, Graham Gudgin, Richard Halleron, Colin Harvey, Katy Hayward, David Hearne, Róisín McAuley, Ian McBride, Edgar Morgenroth, Steve McCabe, Liz O’Donnell, Damien O’Reilly, Brian Rowan, Raymond Snoddy and Michael Wilson.
Brexit and Northern Ireland: Bordering on Confusion is available in paperback from Bite-sized books and on Kindle at Amazon (ISBN number 9781694447807).
Brexit and Northern Ireland: London Book Launch
Hosted by Dr Steve McCabe, with Vernon Bogdanor CBE, and Dr Graham Gudgin
5pm to 7pm Thursday 17 October 2019
University Women’s Club
2 Audley Square
London W1K 1DB
Brexit and Northern Ireland: Belfast Book Launch
Hosted by Róisín McAuley, with Dr Steve McCabe and Dr Leslie Budd
5pm to 7pm Thursday 24 October 2019
The Open University
110 Victoria Street
Belfast
BT1 3GN