The story of the Irish Sea border in quotes –
:: "There cannot be a border down the Irish Sea, a differential between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK - The red line is blood red — all along we have said: ‘No new regulatory alignment." DUP leader Arlene Foster speaking in October 2018.
:: "We would be damaging the fabric of the union with regulatory checks and even customs controls between Great Britain and Northern Ireland on top of those extra regulatory checks down the Irish Sea that are already envisaged in the withdrawal agreement.” Boris Johnson speaking at the 2018 DUP conference.
:: "Stick to your word (Boris Johnson) – we will not accept a customs border in the Irish Sea." DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds at his party’s 2019 annual conference.
:: "There will be no border down the Irish Sea… over my dead body." British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking to The Irish News in August 2020.
:: "I mean, there are some who would continue to fight against the protocol, I have to recognise that that is the reality now." DUP leader Arlene Foster in September 2020.
:: "Agreement being reached is confirmation that there will be a regulatory border in the Irish Sea. This proposal from Boris Johnson last year was endorsed by Arlene Foster and her DUP colleagues on October 2 2019." Lord Reg Empey December 2020.
