[Brexit and Northern Ireland / Ireland]: UK must swallow the unpalatable Irish backstop

Theresa May has no option but to agree to a backstop solution to the Irish border problem that would keep Northern Ireland in the EU Single Market and Customs Union until the future trade relationship between the UK as a whole and the EU is settled, which may take many years. This backstop would ensure no physical checks at the border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, but goods moving from the rest of Britain into Northern Ireland would be subject to customs procedures.

• Primary Source

United Kingdom: Cabinet Office: Policy Paper, 07.06.18: Technical note on temporary customs arrangement http://www.europeansources.info/record/technical-note-on-temporary-customs-arrangement/

Carnegie Europe: Strategic Europe, 05.06.18: Brexit: Time to Drop the Niceties http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-time-to-drop-the-niceties/

Institute for Government: IfG Insight, June 2018: The Irish border after Brexit https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/irish-border-after-brexit

LSE European Institute: EuroppBlog, 22.05.18: [Brexit and Northern Ireland / Ireland]: Mutually assured destruction? Understanding the UK and Ireland’s standoff over the Northern Irish border http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-and-northern-ireland-ireland-mutually-assured-destruction-understanding-the-uk-and-irelands-standoff-over-the-northern-irish-border/

Politico, 17.05.18: Leo Varadkar: No Brexit deal without border backstop https://www.politico.eu/article/customs-union-leo-varadkar-no-brexit-deal-without-border-backstop-western-balkans-summit-sofia/

ESO: Key Source: The impact of Brexit in Ireland http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-impact-of-brexit-in-ireland/

Federal Trust: Blog, 22.05.18: Brexit: Irish realism meets British wishful thinking http://fedtrust.co.uk/brexit-irish-realism-meets-british-wishful-thinking/

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

ESO: Find further information on Brexit and Northern Ireland http://www.europeansources.info/advSearchLink?keyword=Brexit%20Northern%20Ireland%20&searchOption=all

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