Irish dispute triggers Tory battle on Brexit destination
Even as Theresa May tried on Tuesday to wrap up phase one “divorce” talks with the EU, the battle was under way in her party over how to handle phase two: the discussion about a future trade deal. The UK prime minister has so far deferred a cabinet discussion on the divisive question of how Britain should organise its relationship with the EU after Brexit. But the moment for a decision is approaching fast and may have been accelerated by a dispute with Ireland over the divorce talks. Speaking for many of his fellow Brexiters, Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent Conservative member of parliament, said on Tuesday that one of the main benefits of leaving the bloc was the ability to diverge from EU regulations, describing this as an “an indelible red line”. But in replying, David Davis, the UK’s Brexit secretary, delivered a warning to Eurosceptics: “The red line for me is delivering the best Brexit for Britain.” Some of the Conservative party’s most outspoken supporters of a soft Brexit have used similar language to Mr Davis, focusing on compromise proposals that were thrashed out between the EU, the UK and Ireland this week. The text was subsequently vetoed by the Democratic Unionists, the Northern Irish party that provides Mrs May with her parliamentary majority.
The proposals, which Mrs May is seeking to modify and revive, sought to resolve the dispute with Ireland by referring to “regulatory alignment” with the EU single market and customs union as a fallback option. “This has helped us to move the dial, there is no doubt about that,” said one senior minister. The minister argued that the whole of the UK, not just Northern Ireland, would benefit from “regulatory alignment” with the EU. Such issues are becoming increasingly urgent. If Mrs May succeeds in brokering a deal with the Democratic Unionists and concludes a divorce deal at an EU summit next week, the question of a future trade deal will immediately come into view. Ruth Davidson, Scotland’s Conservative leader, who played a prominent role in the Remain campaign ahead of last year’s referendum, argued that Britain could secure the best Brexit deal — and sort out the Northern Ireland border question — by ensuring that the UK stays close to EU rules. Anna Soubry, former business minister, added: “If it’s good enough for Northern Ireland, it’s good enough for the rest to the United Kingdom.”