'Stop pushing no deal’ Ireland will break out into WAR without EU Brexit deal, MP warns
THERESA May has been warned pushing a ‘no Brexit deal’ scenario is “reckless and dangerous” amid fears a hard border in Ireland could provoke war.
If no deal can be agreed between Britain and the European Union, it is inevitable a hard border will have to be erected between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The hard border would be a dramatic breach of the Good Friday agreement, which put an end to 30 years of violence during Northern Ireland's Troubles.
And Independent MP Lady Hermon warned the Prime Minister against pushing forward with her “no deal is better than a bad deal” mantra” over fears of a return to the period of armed stand-off and bloody conflict that killed thousands between 1968 and 1998.
Speaking in the House of Commons during the EU Withdrawal Bill debate this afternoon, she warned "utterly ruthless" dissident republicans would target border officials if Northern Ireland was blocked off from the Republic.
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And she added the UK Government had a "moral" responsibility to take care of all officials, including those from HM Revenue and Customs, Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and UK Border Force.
Lady Hermon, MP for North Down, said: "We have normality in Northern Ireland, we have peace, and we undoubtedly have people alive today that would not otherwise have been alive.
"May I just say ever so loudly and strongly to senior members of the Conservative Party - I do not want to hear them or see them on television talking about pushing ahead with no deal. Let's just move on from no deal.
"It's an absolute nonsense, it is so reckless and so dangerous because dissident republicans ... are active, they're dangerous, they're utterly ruthless.
Brexit negotiations continue
Mon, December 4, 2017Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party accused Britain on Tuesday of keeping it in the dark over a proposed Brexit deal on the Irish border but said it would examine the text after blocking an agreement in Brussels
Theresa May is welcomed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the EC headquarters in Brussels
In the event of no deal, we certainly face a hard border and dissident republicans will regard PSNI officers, HMRC officers and UK border officials as legitimate targets.
"And if I had a child or grandchild who hadn't chosen a different career, I would not be encouraging them to join UK Border Force or HMRC in the event of no-deal Brexit because we'll inevitably have a hard border.”
The Northern Irish MP’s late husband Sir Jack Hermon worked as chief constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and attended almost 100 funerals for officers killed during the Troubles.
Lady Hermon told the Commons despite his concerns over Sinn Fein being brought into the executive, her late husband was a supporter of the Good Friday agreement for bring peace and stability to the troubled region.
She said: "In the event of no deal, we certainly face a hard border and dissident republicans will regard PSNI officers, HMRC officers and UK border officials as legitimate targets.
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"I don't want that on my conscience and I don't believe for one moment the Prime Minister wants that either, or the Government.
"So, for senior members of the Conservative Party, I plead with them to stop the nonsense of talking up a no deal."
Lady Hermon has attracted support from Conservative MPs for her European Union (Withdrawal) Bill proposal.
Her new clause seeks to preserve the principles of the Good Friday Agreement in the legislation and insists the existing wording in the bill is made clearer in stating the UK Government’s commitment to peace in Ireland.
