THE DUP is positioning itself to appear more flexible on the border backstop, a senior Fine Gael MEP has claimed.
Former GAA President Sean Kelly said comments by Arlene Foster that the party is looking into a potential time-limited version of the backstop was evidence of it attempting to save face and potentially pave the way for an extension to the October 31 Brexit deadline.
The DUP leader made the comments at a fringe meeting of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.
The idea that the party could consider a time-limited border backstop has been mooted in some form since February.
Ms Foster clarified the party’s position at another Tory fringe event yesterday, stating: “I didn’t say that we would accept that, I said we would look at it.”
But speaking in Brussels yesterday, Sean Kelly claimed it was evidence that the DUP is seeking to position itself politically ahead of the October 31 deadline.
“I think there’s pressure on the United Kingdom now and especially the DUP with the October 31 deadline approaching to be seen to be in some way supple,” he said.
“And by saying a time-limited backstop, they’re positioning themselves at least to be in some way flexible.
“That can be useful to them in two ways: If they crash out they can say they made an effort and it was rejected, or if they have insufficient time to suss it out, it will give them an excuse to save face and look for an extension,” he added.
The Killarney native, who served as president of the GAA between 2003 and 2006, has represented Ireland’s South constituency in the European Parliament since 2009.
He said there would be “no question” that if the UK sought an extension to the October 31 deadline, that it would be granted.
He also said that attempts by the UK to pressurise Dublin into soften its line on the backstop had failed.
“Europe have remained united and solidly stuck to their guns and they haven’t been taken in by the bluster of Boris Johnston and the Brexiteers,” he said.
