By Tony Novosel – In the 1978 comedy Animal House, a group of students embark on a drunken road trip in a fellow student’s car. The result? A totalled car and a very distraught student. Seemingly to comfort him, one of the older students puts his arm around him and then calmly says, “C’mon Flounder. You can’t […]
‘Sharing Responsibility’ and the future of Northern Ireland
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There will be border checks on trade inside the UK under the Brexit deal negotiated by Boris Johnson, the EU’s chief negotiator has said.
Michel Barnier confirmed there would be “checks and controls” between Britain and Northern Ireland under the agreement that will govern the UK’s exit from the EU.
Boris Johnson falsely claimed several times during the general election campaign that there would be no checks on the Irish sea, and was accused by the opposition of lying.
Whether the prime minister had misunderstood the agreement he had signed or was indeed lying to the public, the text of the deal signed in November is clear that there will indeed be checks.
“The implementation of this foresees checks and controls entering the island of Ireland,” Mr Barnier said during a sitting of the European Parliament.
“I look forward to constructive cooperation with British authorities to ensure that all provisions are respected and made operational.”
Mr Barnier had kept quiet during the UK general election campaign, telling anyone who asked him – even in private – that he did not want to say anything that could have political impact and undermine his Brexit deal.
Mr Johnson repeated his claim just on Monday, telling a press conference: “Be in no doubt. We are the government of the United Kingdom. I cannot see any circumstances whatever in which they will be any need for checks on goods going from the North of Ireland to GB.
“The only circumstances in which you could imagine the need for checks coming from GB to NI, as I’ve explained before, is if those goods were going on into Ireland and we had not secured, which I hope and I’m confident we will, a zero-tariff, zero-quota agreement with our friends and partners in the EU.”
During the election campaign he was even more emphatic, saying: “We will make sure that businesses face no extra costs and no checks for stuff being exported from NI to GB.”
But his analysis does not accurately reflect what is in the Brexit deal he signed.
The government’s own internal analysis, leaked during the general election campaign, said there would be checks on goods in both directions between the two parts of the UK.
It also said there would be a devastating impact on the North of Ireland economy and claimed 98 per cent of Northern Ireland export businesses would be “likely to struggle to bear this cost” of customs declarations and documentary and physical checks on goods within the UK.
With many thanks to: The Independent and Jon Stone Brussels, for the original story@joncstone
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An Italian cartoonist has sparked outrage after depicting the European Union as Auschwitz and Boris Johnson as an escaping prisoner.
Artist Mario Improta posted the cartoon on his Twitter account alongside the comment “#Brexit” on Saturday – a day after the Conservatives won last week’s general election.
The drawing features the prime minister waving a union flag as he flees a concentration camp with the inscription “European Union” occupying the same position as the words “Arbeit macht frei”, do at the entrance to a Nazi death camp.
The comparison between the EU and a concentration camp immediately triggered a wave of criticism from politicians, Rome’s Jewish community and even some of the artist’s own Twitter followers.
The Auschwitz Memorial tweeted in Italian, noting that “’Arbeit macht frei’ was a cynical illusion the SS gave to prisoners of Auschwitz.”
It added: “Those words have become one of the icons of human hatred.
“It is painful for the memory of Auschwitz and its victims to see this symbol used and shamefully abused.”
Mr Improta has become well-known in Italy as the author of an educational campaign for Rome featuring mayor Virginia Raggi as a manga hero.
Ms Raggi distanced herself from the cartoon and ended the collaboration with Mr Improta.
After widespread criticism of the cartoon, Mr Improta modified it on Monday, replacing Auschwitz with a toilet and saying it was “not correct to identify the EU with a concentration camp”.
The incident came as Italy’s top football division, Serie A, was heavily criticised for artwork intended as an anti-racism symbol that depicted three apes.
The artist, Simone Fugazzotto, defended his work and said: “I only paint monkeys as a metaphor for human beings. We turn the concept back on the racists, as we are all monkeys originally. So I painted a Western monkey, an Asian monkey and a black monkey.”
With many thanks to: The Independent and Chiara Giordano for the original story
D.U.P. leader, Arlene Foster, is warning British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, that her party will never support a Northern Ireland only backstop.
Mrs. Foster issued the statement a few hours after Boris Johnson refused to rule out leaving Northern Ireland in the E.U.’s customs union while the rest of the U.K. would leave it.
D.U.P. leader, Arlene Foster and British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
D.U.P. leader, Arlene Foster and British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
“We have been consistent in our opposition to the backstop, whether U.K. or N.I. only, and anything that traps Northern Ireland in the European Union, whether Single Market or Customs Union, as the rest of the United Kingdom leaves will not have our support – the Prime Minister is very mindful of that,” said Mrs. Foster on Friday afternoon.
The suggestion that Northern Ireland could be left inside the E.U.’s customs union came less than 24 hours after Boris Johnson met with Irish Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, in Cheshire, England on Thursday.
In a joint statement, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Varadkar, said after the talks that they could see a “pathway” to a deal that would facilitate an orderly exit from the E.U. for the U.K.
“Understandably, there has been much speculation in the period since the Prime Minister met the Taoiseach yesterday,” said Mrs. Foster.
“Those discussions are a matter for the United Kingdom Government as they negotiate Brexit issues.
“However the Democratic Unionist Party, given its pivotal role in Parliament, and as the largest Northern Ireland party will always exercise our considerable influence in ensuring we stand up for Northern Ireland.
“We will only ever consider supporting arrangements that are in Northern Ireland’s long-term economic and constitutional interests.
“We are regularly in touch with the Prime Minister and as a result he is aware of our views.”
Mrs. Foster went on to say that anything concerning Northern Ireland and Brexit could only be considered as credible if it commands cross community support from both unionists and nationalists.
“The United Kingdom EU referendum result delivered the people’s verdict and it must be delivered. To do otherwise would be anti-democratic.
“We have argued that it is important to secure a balanced and sensible deal as we leave the European Union.
Boris Johnson refuses to rule out leaving…
“Those who know anything about Northern Ireland will appreciate that these issues will only work with the support of the unionist as well as the nationalist community.”
Whilst sounding somewhat sceptical about what may or may not have been agreed by Prime Minister Johnson, Mrs. Foster said she would reserve judgement until it is brought before her and the rest of the D.U.P. over the next few days.
“The DUP has always indicated that the United Kingdom must leave the EU as one nation and in so doing that no barriers to trade are erected within the UK.
“In December 2017 we insisted that democratic consent was required in circumstances where Northern Ireland would align alongside specific sectors of the EU single market.
“Paragraph 50 of the Joint Report between the United Kingdom and the European Union outlined the requirement for such consent. We have held steadfast to that position whilst recognising the need to be flexible and look at Northern Ireland specific solutions achieved with the support and consent of the representatives of the people of Northern Ireland.”
Mrs. Foster added: “In order to secure a sensible deal for everyone it is important that the European Union understand that to maximise the prospects of agreement there will need to be a clear acceptance that the economic and constitutional integrity of the whole of the United Kingdom will have to be respected as we leave.
“As a consequence of the mandate given to us by voters in 2017 the DUP is very relevant in the Parliamentary arithmetic and regardless of the ups and downs of the Brexit discussions that has not changed.
“We will judge any outcome reached by the Prime Minister against the criteria above.”
With many thanks to the: Derry Journal and Andrew Quinn for the original story
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