Opinion

Newton Emerson: DUP struggling to admit it wants softest of soft Brexit

Newton Emerson

Newton Emerson

Newton Emerson writes a twice-weekly column for The Irish News and is a regular commentator on current affairs on radio and television.

Nigel Dodds said the DUP "do not abstain on the union", but the party is also struggling to admit its support for Brexit has been a terrible mistake. Picture by Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
Nigel Dodds said the DUP "do not abstain on the union", but the party is also struggling to admit its support for Brexit has been a terrible mistake. Picture by Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Nigel Dodds said the DUP "do not abstain on the union", but the party is also struggling to admit its support for Brexit has been a terrible mistake. Picture by Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

WHAT sort of Brexit does the DUP want? Arguments over the backstop have distracted from this more fundamental question, which the UK as a whole has barely started to address.

A hint of where the DUP is heading came during this week's 'indicative votes' in Westminster.

The DUP opposed most versions of Brexit considered, including customs union membership, but abstained on the two softest options - membership of the European Economic Area or of the single market and customs union.

This came despite DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds saying "we do not abstain on the union", in response to speculation on accepting the backstop.

What this means is the DUP wants the softest Brexit possible but is struggling to admit it, because that would mean admitting its support for Brexit has been a terrible mistake.

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Another Commons vote, unrelated to Brexit, has implications for Stormont.

Just 21 MPs opposed the government's new draft sex education regulations, which will teach primary school children about family types, including same-sex parents.

Seven of the DUP's 10 MPs were among them, with the other three abstaining.

This is despite the regulations being for England only and falling under the 'English Votes for English Laws' procedure.

The DUP has separately committed itself to not interfering in social policies in Britain, to avoid bringing trouble on itself and the government.

However, all that went on the window on an issue it obviously considered emotive to its base.

This bodes ill for getting same-sex marriage through a restored assembly.

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Methodist College Belfast has announced a review of its uniform policy to accommodate transgender pupils and faith groups, with the rather strangulated proviso: "Individualism is not the same as being part of a recognised minority and so once a uniform policy has been set, all are expected to adhere to the requirements."

Knowing Northern Ireland's grammar schools, one interpretation of this might be: 'girls still cannot wear trousers'.

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Queen's University Belfast professor Colin Harvey, the leading academic light in the civic nationalist movement, has proposed that a border poll be held on May 22 2023, as that is the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

As a reason for a poll this would be outside the terms of the Agreement.

However, it is in line with the proposal made last August by DUP former leader Peter Robinson in a professorial lecture at Queen's, when he proposed "generational" border polls.

It is good to see unionist and nationalist professors finding common ground.

But does Prof Harvey realise this means the next poll could not be held until 2048?

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Last week, a major medical conference in Belfast heard claims Stormont's collapse has created a golden age of NHS reform by getting parish pump politicians out of the way.

Proof has emerged this week after civil servants unveiled plans to centralise stroke services to as few as three 'hyper-acute' hospitals, down from 11 at present.

The plans have been welcomed by doctors' union the British Medical Association and research body the Stroke Association, which says it is "urgently needed and will save lives".

However, Stormont parties across the political spectrum have objected, despite the plans being based on reports they have repeatedly commissioned.

Sinn Féin is demanding the plans be "regionally balanced" and the SDLP has claimed Newry's Daisy Hill is being deliberately run down.

The DUP is often mocked for ignoring scientific evidence on evolution and geology but when it comes to life and death matters of medicine, every party is as bad.

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In a further splurge of indirect rule, the secretary of state has approved the Belfast city deal while civil servants have approved a power station and a cruise ship terminal in Belfast Harbour.

The terminal attracted least attention despite several newsworthy aspects.

It has just been revealed cruise ship numbers will be severely capped in Dublin to cope with post-Brexit cargo processing.

This will have disastrous knock-on affects for cruise visits around the whole island of Ireland.

Longer term, the Belfast terminal will be important to control air pollution, which seems certain to become a major scandal.

Belfast Harbour intends to provide electricity to docked ships once a standard 'plug' is developed.

A large cruise ship running its engines for power in port can emit as much dangerous particulates as one million diesel cars and more sulphur dioxide, incredibly, than every road vehicle in Europe combined.

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MEPs have backed a plan to ask EU member states to abolish daylight saving time and keep their clocks the same all year around.

This has been widely reported as meaning a 'time border' in Ireland. However, the EU considers the plan to be an aspect of the single market, so under the backstop it would mean a time sea-border.

In practice, of course, the UK would be likely to shadow the EU whether in or out of the single market.

The real dispute would be with Scotland, as avoiding dark mornings in the highlands is why the UK government ditched its own plan to adopt Central European Time in 2011.

newton@irishnews.com