UK should stay in Customs Union to protect backstop - Bertie Ahern
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern thinks that British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit Plan B which is expected to be announced today, has “probably been cooking up for months” not just since last week following the failed vote in the House of Commons.
He told the Pat Kenny show on Newstalk that “tinkering around” with “the next best idea” was not ideal.
If the British government had been insisting on an agreement last November to give themselves four to five months to plan, how did they expect to “wrap up” in two months before March 29.
I don’t see how that’s possible.
If Article 50 is extended he did not see how the UK could not hold an election for seats in the European parliament.
“I think they would legitimately be able to say that they would still have to have European elections in the UK.”
When asked about the possibility of changes being made to the Good Friday Agreement, he said the only way that could be done was through a review mechanism as had been done in 2006, there was not a hope of that happening before March 29.
The more logical thing would be for the UK to stay in the Customs Union, then there might not be problems with the backstop, he said.
