What is the Backstop?

[HSarah]

I can't find a clear explanation of what this actually is- can anyone enlighten me? My family are all telling me different things.

Here's my rough understanding of it. Please anyone correct me if I'm wrong.

If after the 2 years of negotions with the EU (transition period) a solution the NI border issue isn't found(there's almost zero chance of this) , the backstop will kick in. This is the problem with NI and Brexit. Two differing economic regulatory countries need customs and a hard border, that would contravene the Good Friday Agreement and probably start up the Troubles again. To avoid this hard border, the backstop kicks in. The backstop keeps NI and to an extent the UK in a customs union(agreement) with the EU so no customs checks are needed at the NI, ROI border. However, because of this, the UK would have to follow EU regulations on goods etc so therefore the UK would be following EU regs (law) without having any say in it. This backstop would have to be removed by both parties agreeing to it when a solution is found to the NI border but that's highly unlikely to ever be found so it'd be there forever (most probably).

Then there's the problem of NI having an advantage of access to the single market(someone correct me if I'm wrong here) but the UK not. Businesses would simply move to NI out of the UK for access to the UK and EU markets. This puts Scotland, Wales and England at a competitive disadvantage against NI which is pretty ridiculous.

What IS the backstop though? I still don't understand what it is.

What is it? I don’t know either!!

^^It's a fall back position, a safety net to protect peace in NI. Its not actually anything solid.

It's a sneaky way of keeping us in the EU whilst the government pretends to Leave.

GD explains it pretty well. It’s a concept, an agreement, a regulation.

They’re not actually going to build a backstop!

A few hundred years ago there was a British Empire, Britain is one of the richest countries in the world as a result. Irish people were enslaved by British people and worked o America plantations as slaves with black people. Some Irish people escaped Crowell by becoming refugees into the worst land in Ireland, the British stole the good land and enslaved anyone who stayed to work on the Irish and American plantations.

Northern Ireland is the stolen land.

The Irish people were in part given freedom about a hundred years ago.

The good Friday agreement stopped the arguments. Although people with Catholic sounding names the minority are still discriminated against.

If you don't stick to the GFA there will be hardship again in Northern Ireland.

^infinite, it's really not. It's a protection mechanism of the GFA. This is why NI is Brexits achillies heel.

The Irish people in NI and republic of Ireland would be delighted if people in the United kingdom wanted to ditch NI, so please do lobby your MP if the backstop is annoying to you.

I'm sick of hearing about the blinking backstop, it's funny how I'd never heard it before not it's every other word

The only way to get rid of the backstop is to give NI back go the Republic of Ireland - a job done.

Spain will want the rock back too.

I was just wondering earlier why this doesn't also apply to Gibraltar? Given that they will also have a land border with the EU and I presume will want to keep frictionless movement of goods across the border.

People in NI may not practice a religion, if they have an Irish Catholic last name, the majority people with British sounding names will discriminate against them. For twenty years this hasn't included violence and death thanks to the GFA.

A hard border in NI contravenes the GFA.

According to the terms of the withdrawal agreement, NI stays in the customs union and single market to avoid the need for any type of border checks between the two parts of Ireland.

The backstop says that these arrangements (i.e, NI remaining in the single market and customs union) must remain in place, even after the transition period ends, until an alternative solution to the border crossing is found.

At the moment, there are no practical ways to maintain checks on goods that cross borders without having physical infrastructure at the border. The government is hoping some sort of technological solution can be developed which magically looks inside trucks without stopping them.

I was just wondering earlier why this doesn't also apply to Gibraltar?

because there's no GFA for Gibraltar. Just the Treaty of Utrecht where Spain ceded control to Great Britain as part of the settlement of one of the wars of that time (CBA to google it).

The wording re Gibraltar in the withdrawal agreement pretty much says arrangements on taxation, police, customs arrangements, citizens rights etc will be concluded by agreements between the UK and Spanish governments and will probably have to be thrashed out during any transition period.

GardenofSeeds what are you on about?

The only solution is a border in the Irish sea. The DUP -- their ancestors were British, they invaded, stole land and enslaved the Irish- they don't want a border in the Irish sea because that will physically unite Ireland, the DUP view themselves as mini British Emperors/ overlords and are horrified at the thought of being identified as Irish.😂

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You don't want "stuoid" people with an Irish heritage posting?

Yeah Garden bore off with you generalisations.
GD12 in your otherwise clear and concise post you refer to NI and the UK but NI is part of the UK. Maybe should use rUK as we did during the Scottish referendum!

Catholics in NI are perfectly free to practice their religion - that’s why there are Catholic schools with a Catholic ethos, historically there were Catholic-run hospitals, there are loads of Catholic Churches, and Catholic chaplains at the 2 NI universities. The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland is based in Northern Ireland for goodness sake.

There was plenty of discrimination esp under the old Stormont regime, there are pockets of residual discrimination now, but it’s nonsense to suggest that Catholics were prevented from practising their religion.

The worst crime eva to be stooopid right?