THE European Union will ensure a Brexit backstop is not used because it will give Northern Ireland too many advantages, the Prime Minister has suggested.
Theresa May said there were fears that businesses from the Republic could move to the north if the backstop was in place.
The backstop, which was negotiated as part of the UK's withdrawal agreement from the EU, is intended to be a temporary arrangement.
It was negotiated to ensure there is no hard Irish border after the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 while the two sides thrash out a free trade deal.
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In a conference call with the heads of Conservative Associations, which was published by Conservative Home, Mrs May explained that the EU "think the backstop is an advantage to us - they think that Northern Ireland businesses will do well out of this".
"There's a worry that, some have a worry, that businesses from Ireland could move into Northern Ireland if the backstop was in place," she said.
If the backstop was put in place, the north would continue to follow the full EU customs code.
The move could give the north an advantage in trading with the EU, compared with Britain.
Northern Ireland businesses could continue to get their goods into the EU as they do today, while British businesses would face customs procedures, regulatory checks and VAT.
"This is really not something that the EU wants to be in," Mrs May said.
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