DUP will not accept anything LESS than hard Brexit, says former Arlene Foster aide
DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY leader Arlene Foster will not accept anything less than a ‘hard’ Brexit, according to her former adviser.
Former Arlene Foster adviser: DUP do not want ‘soft Brexit'
Richard Bullick, ex special adviser to the party leader, said the DUP would not back down on calling for the UK to leave the single market and customs union.
Speaking on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, Mr Bullick said an “arrangement” would be needed between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to ensure there was not a hard border.
Presenter Mishal Husain asked if Mrs Foster would backtrack on wanting the UK to leave the customs union.
She said: “On the question of Brexit, the DUP obviously in favour of leaving the EU but very concerned about what would happen on the border.
“Do those concerns go away if the UK stays in the customs union, even if it leaves the single market and therefore is that something which you think she’ll be pushing for?"
The UK should be free to trade with other parts of the world
But the former adviser said the party would not change its mind on wanting to leave the customs union.
He said: “Well the DUP policy has been that the UK should leave the customs union at the same time as it leaves the European Union, so I don’t see an argument is going to be put forward that the UK should stay within the customs union.
“Though of course the border is a huge issue for people in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland as well.
“No one wants to go back to what it was like in the past, so that is clearly a difficult issue, but an issue that’s going to need to be resolved.”
Mats Persson on affects of trade policy if UK join customs union
“The manifesto position is the UK should be free to trade with other parts of the world and I think that’s only going to be possible in the circumstances where Britain is outside the customs union.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t have arrangements, particularly with the Republic of Ireland, which are pretty close to where things are at the moment.”
Meanwhile, the European Union’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier has brutally chastised the UK for “wasting time” and warned that Britain may get “no deal”.
The Eurocrat accused the UK of repeatedly changing its mind on Brexit as he warned that time was ticking on negotiations.
Mr Barnier told Sky News: ”I don't know what hard Brexit or soft Brexit means. I read yesterday 'Open Brexit' too! Brexit is withdrawal from the EU - it's the UK's decision. We're implementing it."
The disastrous election result for Theresa May has thrown the Brexit negotiations into question, but Michel Barnier has insisted the EU is ready.
The negotiations were due to start on Monday next week but they are now likely to be delayed until after Mrs May's political deal with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party to form a majority.