Jacob Rees-Mogg reveals THIS key issue is being used by Remainers to THWART Brexit
BREXITEER Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Irish border issue is being used by Remain backing Brits to keep the UK in the European Union after Brexit and thwart the democratic vote.
The Tory Brexiteer revealed the “straightforward solution” to the Irish border issue, in which checks are done remotely and not policed at the border after Brexit.
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “The Irish border question can be solved without having a hard physical border.
“There is already a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland – a different VAT regime, regimes on alcohol and cigarettes and so on.
“And immigration laws. So, there is a border already. But it doesn’t need to be policed at the border and can be done remotely.
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The Irish border question can be solved without having a hard physical border
“And so there’s a very straightforward solution but it’s being used by people who don’t want us to leave in the first place to try and keep us in the European Union and Lord Patten is regrettably in that category.”
Mr Rees-Mogg ripped into claims by “old family friend” and arch-Remainer Lord Patten over his major concerns about the Northern Ireland border issue.
The former European Commissioner and Tory peer called for Britain to remain in the customs union in order to resolve the Irish border issue.
In response to the claims, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “It always struck me as a little bit odd that when he was Governor of Hong Kong he was hugely in favour of democracy, did a great deal to try and give democracy to the people of Hong Kong.
“Now he’s back in the UK and the House of Lords he seems to dislike democracy and the fact that 17.4 million people voted to leave the European Union.”
In March the European Union Chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and Brexit Secretary David Davis presented the latest Brexit deal proposals since the end of the first phase of talks in December.
Michel Barnier and Brexit Secretary David Davis described the deal as a “decisive step” that will lead to the “orderly withdrawal” of the UK.
The pair also agreed the transitional period will last from 29 March 2019 to December 2020 - but some issues, including the Irish border, remain unresolved.
As a result of the EU summit on Friday, the remaining 27 member states approved a draft deal on Britain's transition to Brexit, opening the door for talks on trade.