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.

I believe the notion of the backstop is being used by the powers that be in a hideously manipulative manner to derail Brexit. It is a bandwagon that has been gleefully jumped on and belittles the people of the island of Ireland.

^^hoho, I'm from Scotland and was typing that quickly and realised what I'd written after I wrote it. Yes, you're correct.

^^Missgiddy, it's factual how can the GFA which is factual and and customs regulations which are also factual be some sort of conspiracy? People were saying this at the time of the vote.

I didn’t say conspiracy.

Stuoid/stoopid is as stupid does...

MissGiddy you do realise that NI voted remain? And that public opinion in the Republic of Ireland is overwhelmingly pro-EU and supports the position the Irish government has taken re Brexit?

Gifted in so many things like intelligence and yet limited in humility to those who aren't as fortunate.

Forgive my massive ignorance but why would it be so impossible to have a hard border between ROI and Northern Ireland?

Because the infrastructure would last about 5 minutes before being shot up. The trick of GFA is to kid people that there is no border between the two countries unless you want to see it.

Who thinks the republic of Ireland wants Northern Ireland?? I live in the republic, have never heard anyone express this opinion and am pretty sure it is a minority opinion. Also, there are plenty of Northern Ireland people who like being part of Britain.

Happy for Ireland to be reunited.

Sad that a ‘hard’ border would mean a return to the troubles.

@HSarah google The Troubles and see what it was like.
Also google "terrorist attacks on Manchester" to discover that terrorist atrocities in that city aren't a recent thing. The Manchester Bomb doesn't just mean the horrible attack at the Arianne Grande concert.
In fact, google terrorism and Warrington or Omagh or well ....the list goes on. We don't want to go back to that. It's a miracle that we are so far away from it that younger people don't even know what it was like.

There is nowhere for a hard border both the Irish govt and the WTO have publicly stated that a technological solution is both possible and probable. The hard border is an excuse for the backstop, the backstop is Remain follow the money.

No need but nowhere is true too. It's shameful how the troubles and the GFA has been used in this scaremongering way.

Its a shame leave voters didn't consider NI 2 years ago.

A sea border might have been possible if the Tories weren't so reliant on the DUP. Just another fuck up in this embarassing process.

There is nowhere for a hard border both the Irish govt and the WTO have publicly stated that a technological solution is both possible and probable.

No. The Irish gov have said that technological solutions have been judged inadequate or unworkable, and their most recent statement on the issue merely says that they are “willing to consider sensible and realistic solutions that will avoid a hard border, so long as their effectiveness can be proved”.

The Irish government and the EU are absolutely united on the question of the backstop, and it’s Brexiteer wishful thinking/propaganda to suggest otherwise.

www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/uk-to-seek-irish-help-in-technological-solution-to-keep-border-open-1.3707548

@InfiniteSheldon - theoretically some sort of technological solution is possible but it doesn't exist anywhere in the world right now and must take into account the unique circumstances. It is NOT a red herring, it is something no Leaver has been able to provide a solution for. High dudgeon isn't a solution.

440,437 people in Northern Ireland voted to Remain in the EU and 349,442 to Leave I did so did they all 349,442 not concerned about the mythical hard border invented as a Remainer excuse to thwart democracy. Slinging unfounded insults doesn't make a duscussion

A sea border and turning NI into a special economic area is the solution but the DUP won't accept it.

Plenty of people pointed out the incompatibility of Brexit with the GFA before the referendum, it’s not something that Remainers have suddenly invented

@InfiniteSheldon , if you knew anything about NI you would know that, for the first time since accepted GFA, a majority of Unionists and Nationalists must have wanted the same thing - Remain.
DUP wankers (they don't deserve respect) wanted anything that fucks over GFA so voted Leave. Some Sinn Fein wankers (also don't deserve respect) voted Leave as a convoluted way of ending British Rule.
I find your concern for the minority view for Leave in NI touching. Do you have the same concern for the large minority for Remain in the rest of the UK?

one of the wars of that time

War of the Spanish Succession, via the Peace of Utrecht - did history A level many years ago, but remember that.

you refer to NI and the UK

So did IDS on tonight's PM programme.

IDS' ignorance is typically disgusting.

It also needs noting that a border in the sea giving NI special economic status would go down very badly in Scotland which also voted remain.
The problems with leaving the EU and the GFA were flagged up before the referendum but not enough people listened.
Norway +, would enable us to leave the EU and not threaten the border I believe.

NI’s special economic status, such as it may emerge, is not because it voted Remain; it’s because it is a post-conflict society with an internationally-registered peace settlement and shares a land border with Ireland, which happens to be an EU country.

I understand why the SNP are trying to leverage the “NI voted Remain, so did Scotland” to their advantage, but the two situations are not comparable at all.

What @LadyGregorysToothbrush said