Britain should tells Brussels NO DEAL and trade under WTO rules: Owen Paterson thanks DUP
BRITAIN should walk away from a deal with the Brussels if forced to put forward a “quasi-colonial” status to Northern Ireland, according to former Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson.
Brexiteer Owen Paterson said Britain is better off with “no deal” if forced to damage Northern Ireland’s position as an integral part of the United Kingdom.
Speaking after Brexit questions, Mr Paterson said Theresa May should come back from Brussels with no deal. He said: “We should politely say ‘sorry you’re being extortionate, you’re being demanding, ludicrous demands’.”
Leaked draft papers published by RTE reveal Theresa May planned to have a “continued regulatory alignment” between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland.
But the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster shut down the plans and said “any form of regulatory divergence” between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland is unacceptable.
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You do not solve this by giving some quasi-colonial status to Northern Ireland
Mr Paterson said: “What you do not do - you do not solve this by giving some quasi-colonial status to Northern Ireland, still lumbered with all the burden of being in the single market and the customs union.
“I know some really good companies in Northern Ireland who are really looking forward to the advantages of being part of the United Kingdom, free and able to do trade deals all around the world.
“What you do not do as a solution, which was put out in this draft document yesterday, is to lumber Northern Ireland with still being part of this, a separate regime which runs completely separate to the Belfast agreement.”
Mr Paterson said Britain should leave the Brussels bloc with no deal and trade under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. He said: “WTO terms
The EU has refused to move onto the second stage of Brexit talks until “significant progress” is made on key Brexit issues – including the Irish border, citizens’ rights and the financial settlement.
Theresa May was in Brussels on Monday to meet with EU officials in hope of moving on to the second stage of Brexit talks.
The talks failed to materialise and Mrs May was forced to admit “a couple of issues” are yet to be agreed with the EU.
The Prime Minister is expected to return to Brussels on Wednesday to try to thrash out a deal so that talks can move on to trade when UK and EU officials meet at the last 2017 EU Summit on December 14.
