Opinion

Fundamental issue at hand is who makes our laws and government policy?

We can easily get side-tracked into specifics about ‘chlorinated chicken’ which distracts that the fundamental issue at hand is who makes our laws and government policy?

Should it be the European Commission or a democratically elected British government deciding on whether we impose high tariffs on sugar cane or allow chlorinated chicken to be imported?

Under the current Withdrawal Agreement the UK will be subject to EU procurement rules, EU foreign policy, EU State aid rules and remain under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice for at least another 10 years.   And all without any say. It also involves significant commitments and further integration on EU Defence Union projects including all associated EU defence rules, payments, programme governance and policies. 

Without significant changes to the Brexit backstop we are faced with Remain or vassalage and I am not sure which is worse – at least with Remain the UK would have MEPs and veto in some areas.

The backstop carves off Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK making it directly subject to EU law and trade policy without representation and contravenes the Good Friday Agreement by siphoning away north-south institution elements into unelected EU committee. And it will inevitably lead to either official or unofficial proxy representation by Dublin MEPs. It should be remembered that the backstop keeps Northern Ireland in ‘the’ EU Customs Union while Great Britian is in ‘a’ customs union with the EU.  

By signing the current backstop the bar will have been set. So when the future relationship is negotiated it may well be that Great Britain will get a Free Trade Deal with the EU and leaves the single market and customs union but under the backstop Northern Ireland will have to remain in ‘the’ EU customs union unless or until the EU 27 including Dublin say otherwise. Or more likely that the UK will sign up to a customs union rendering a lot of Brexit pointless since the EU would continue to dictate UK trade policy (except we may have no say at all).

A time limit or exit clause to the backstop are far from reassuring in and of themselves.


Far better that we see alternative arrangements (such as ‘the frontstop’ or the FSB proposal of a free port) as envisaged by the Brady amendment and Malthouse compromise.  

The US for example conducts its security and immigration checks in Dublin Airport before passengers depart so why could the EU not conduct a limited set of checks at Northern Ireland ports on goods deemed to be headed for the EU single market in conjunction with “in the market checks”, which the EU have already outline in the backstop? Both this and the FSB free port solution allow Northern Ireland to retain an open border with the Republic while leaving the EU structures with the rest of the UK.

This should be augmented by a full legal implementation of paragraph 50 of the Joint Report (December 2017).

ALAN DAY


Cookstown, Co Tyrone

There may be method in madness of a no-deal scenario

Crashing out without a deal will mean the British government do not have to pay the divorce bill or settlement. There may be method to the madness of a no-deal scenario after all? The EU are looking for billions off UK taxpayers. The whole idea of getting out of the EU is to save billions poured into it. What an irony it would be for the UK to get out while still having to pay out a fortune to break it at the neck, which would fly in the face of any financial  benefits of getting out. The time has also come to question the assumed great wealth of the British system. The land of hope and glory may not be as rich as it used to be? A great deal of opposition has come against public inquires in NI, chiefly because of the costs involved. Costs it can no longer sustain. The British system is massive and the cost of maintaining it is no longer sustainable. NI has had to fight harder and harder for its share of the pie. Made even more difficult with the absence of Stormont. Welfare, especially pensions, is set to be a bleeder in the years ahead as it is now. One can also see significant cutbacks in the NHS. The old yolk is not what she used to be. It is no secret that the British are not getting value for money with its massive net weekly contribution to the EU in the order of £350m for what is still primarily an agricultural EU budget. Nothing is guaranteed or reliable with Brexit.


The relationship between these two islands will be completely transformed. NI position within the United Kingdom could be impaired as will the other sections of the UK and the dependencies of which there are many. The repercussions of Brexit may go well beyond economic issues to constitutional. The Republic is a de facto dependency of the UK and NI is jointly dependant on the Republic. Britain may make a new start for itself, or are we looking at the decline of a country? It will be very interesting to see how the UK does in the post-Brexit world. It is clear London has had serious budgetary problems – will they go away after the UK leaves the EU and the huge sums paid out to it, or will they still remain?


There is a bigger picture to look at as the UK leaves the EU. Are we looking at the last days of the old Empire or the creation of a new one?

MAURICE FITZGERALD


Shanbally, Co Cork

Respect the environment

I am calling for a new approach to respect for our environment and, in particular, for action to be taken against irresponsible dog owners. At the heart of all our lives must be the concept of responsibility. 

Nowadays people often talk about ‘rights’ but seldom do they emphasise the importance of having responsibility for what they say and do.

This is the case when we allow things to happen that are pulling our area down, at the local level and where we notice it most is the ongoing issue of dog fouling.

I found it interesting that Dublin Cooperation is going for a system of DNA registration in a way that would allow the owners of  offending dogs to be identified and action taken against them.

The problem is to be found in all our local authority areas across Northern Ireland and I urge and propose that all those councils act together against this blight on our tourism and on the quality of life of our people. It is a problem we share and there is much merit in acting  together to come up with a solution. In this Newry, Mourne and Down can lead the way.

JIM BOYLAN


Independent candidate for Newry Mourne and Down Council

Is there any use?

What is the point of  DUP and Sinn Fein?  They were elected to run Northern Ireland, presumably for the benefit of a population of 1.6 million. They are not doing so.

Since the 30 purely destructive years we have had some 20 years of stuttering inefficient, inconsistent progress  followed by no government for more than two years.  DUP and SF have been the consistent ingredient throughout those 50 years.

If they were elected to run us in accordance with their election manifestos, then they have failed and deserve the fate of failed democrats, that is rejection by the electorate.

With such failure why could they possibly be elected? The answer must surely be the fear-mongering intransigence of sectarianism. We see the negativity of both DUP and SF. If they can divert attention from their not running Northern Ireland they do so.

A well-run Northern Ireland benefits everyone, the unionists and Great Britain, nationalists and Republic of Ireland and indeed everyone in NI who does not regard the above division as sacred.

As DUP and SF cannot run NI they should make way for people who do want a progressive inclusive society and would work to get it.

TOM EKIN


Belfast, BT1