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No deal risk warning as UK exits EU

Boris Johnson said he wanted Brexit to mark the beginning of a new era of friendly cooperation. Picture by Paul Ellis/PA Wire
Boris Johnson said he wanted Brexit to mark the beginning of a new era of friendly cooperation. Picture by Paul Ellis/PA Wire Boris Johnson said he wanted Brexit to mark the beginning of a new era of friendly cooperation. Picture by Paul Ellis/PA Wire

THE UK's departure from the EU last night came with a warning that the risk of no deal Brexit remained "real".

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Boris Johnson's refusal to extend the transition period beyond the end of the year was a "cause for concern".

She said negotiating a future relationship in 11 months was a "tight timeline" and that there remained a danger that the UK could crash out of the EU.

The Dublin TD's warning came as the UK officially severed ties with Brussels at 11pm last night. During the transition period that extends to December 31, most EU laws will continue to apply as the two sides seek to strike a post-Brexit trade deal.

"The provisions for avoiding a hard border through the protocol on the island of Ireland must be honoured and must take effect – there cannot and will not be any land border on our island," Ms McDonald said.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was confident a "good" deal could be reached but cautioned that a lot of work remained outstanding and that the Republic planned to take a firm line in the trade negotiations.

"It is not done yet, it is not over and the next phase is the negotiation of the trade agreement between the EU and UK," he said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted Brexit to mark the "beginning of a new era of friendly cooperation between the EU and an energetic Britain".

"A Britain that is simultaneously a great European power and truly global in our range and ambitions," he said.

The Tory leader said his government had "obeyed the people".

"We have taken back the tools of self-government," he said.

"Now is the time to use those tools to unleash the full potential of this brilliant country and to make better the lives of everyone in every corner of our United Kingdom."

DUP MP Sammy Wilson, an ardent Brexiteer, said the UK was breaking free from the "EU prison" but insisted that Northern Ireland could not be left behind.

The East Antrim MP said the EU had "stunted" the UK's growth and "restricted our economic freedom".

"It is important that the government does not allow the EU to continue its control through conditions attached in the negotiations which now have to follow about what our relationship is outside the walls of the European Union," he said.

"It is especially important for Northern Ireland that the concessions given to the EU in the withdrawal agreement do not leave us in the EU prison yard or acting as a part of the United Kingdom released only under licence."

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said nationalists and unionists had a "strategic common interest" in cooperating to ensure Brexit did not cause economic damage.

"Every party in the assembly opposes Boris Johnson's deal, we now need to cooperate to prevent further damage in the next phase of the negotiations," he said.

"The European ideals of cooperation and solidarity have never been more important."

Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken said the withdrawal agreement meant Northern Ireland had been "dumped into an EU-UK limbo land".

"Unionism can't afford any more strategic mistakes – crossing our fingers and hoping it'll be alright on the night with Boris Johnson at the helm, having gone back on so many previous commitments, is not a strategy that will deliver confidence and stability," he said.

"Northern Ireland and the union itself have already sustained enough collateral damage in the pursuit of an ideologically pure Brexit."